Jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf founder Imran Khan would hopefully be the future prime minister of Pakistan in 2025, Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said on Tuesday.

“I am an optimist despite that we have faced many difficulties,” he said while appearing on News Insight with Amir Zia which was aired on Aaj News. “Our party is disciplined and a strong entity which is required in Pakistan. I see that in 2025 our future PM will be Imran Khan.”

Ayub was on the show via video link where he spoke about the party’s negotiation committee meeting with the government’s committee in Islamabad and future plans.

But the opposition leader could not attend the meeting because of his appearance in Peshawar High Court for different cases.

On the show, he rejected the impression that the PTI leaders’ presence in the meeting was just for the sake of making representation. Like his party leaders, Ayub reiterated that party leaders were busy and National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq was previously informed about the commitments.

He restated that the party wants the release of “political prisoners”, a judicial commission on May 9 and November 26, the investigation into the February 8 election process, and a free fair election. “Our members verbally told them that we do not accept your government.”

When asked, the opposition leader said the PTI would see whether the government was “serious” with its intentions. He demanded that party leaders should be granted “unmonitored and unhindered” access to Khan in jail.

“Until now, intelligence agencies monitored everything. We need open access to Khan,” he said

“Khan Sb will give the final call. We will play the role of ambassadors,” Ayub said in reply to a question about the decisions of the committee.

He described Defence Minister Khawaja Asif as a “loose cannon” after the latter in a London press conference accused the PTI founder of orchestrating May 9 events.

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According to him, the military courts’ decision on May 9 suspects was a “knee-jerk reaction” and it has “backfired” following the reaction of the European Union, the United States, and the United Kingdom.

He alleged that the military courts usurped the judiciary’s role by announcing the verdict. High courts and the Supreme Court would strike down the decisions.

The opposition leader alleged that international indicators and friendly countries have asked Pakistan to “put your house in order.”

In response to a question, he said: “The PTI needs to get ready for elections, hopefully.” Ayub clarified that he has no hopes from the upcoming US administration led by President-elect Donald Trump over Khan’s release.