The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf core committee meeting continued late into Friday night before concluding. Internal discussions within the jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party have come to light following the meeting.
The meeting was held amid efforts to start negotiations between the PTI and the government. Khan has warned the government of starting the first phase of the party’s civil disobedience movement, which involves boycotting remittances, on December 22 if the government does not address his “legitimate demands.”
Earlier this month, the former prime minister had threatened a civil disobedience campaign starting December 14 unless his requests regarding the release of political prisoners and the establishment of a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9, 2023, and November 26 were fulfilled.
His sister, Aleema Khanum, stated on Tuesday that Imran would urge overseas Pakistanis to stop sending remittances if his demands went unmet. PTI lawyer Chaudhry Faisal Hussain mentioned the previous day that Imran had instructed party leaders to hold off on the campaign until Sunday.
It merits here mentioning that the accountability court would announce its verdict in the £190 million corruption case involving Khan and his spouse Bushra Bibi on December 23 (Monday).
The party’s founder has expressed readiness for negotiations with anyone who approaches them, including Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, sources quoted PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan as saying at the meeting.
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They added that the PTI has agreed not to propose any names for judges for the judicial commission meeting. Instead, the party would first finalise the terms of reference.
The core committee meeting also saw sharp criticism directed at former party leader Fawad Chaudhry.
Salman Akram Raja stated that the former information minister has assumed the role of a self-appointed spokesperson for the PTI founder. He noted that Chaudhry has only had a “one-minute meeting with Khan and urged him not to impose his views on the party.
