Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that he was offered a deal, which he refused because it did not guarantee his supporters’ release.
“I received a message proposing a deal: the government will provide ‘political space’ for my party but will place me under house arrest and transfer me to Bani Gala,” a statement quoting him on his Facebook account said on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, his sister Aleema Khan made similar claims. The former prime minister’s party’s negotiating committee met with the government’s team earlier this week.
Described as an “informal meeting”, they decided to meet again on January 2 where the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf would present the ‘charter of demand’.
In the statement, Khan demanded the release of all “political prisoners” before he would consider any deal. He added that he would not accept house arrest or be sent to any jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, asserting, “I will remain in jail if necessary, but I will not accept any deal.”
But the social media post did not mention who, where, and how he received the message. In an interview with News Insight with Amir Zia on December 12, PTI leader Raoof Hasan confirmed that his party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was in contact with the security agencies and intelligence because of the provincial situation and long border with Afghanistan.
“We have daily basis interaction with them on multiple issues,” he said and added that the party’s decision to postpone the protest before November was taken after contact with them.
While addressing his supporters, the PTI founder urged them “not to panic and assured them that their captain is standing firm.” He also called on overseas Pakistanis to join a campaign against remittance withdrawals, stating that the negotiations appear to be “merely a game.” Khan noted that if positive results emerge from the talks, the boycott of remittances would be halted.
He claimed that if the rule of law were enforced, investment would flow into the country, and the economy would stabilise. The former premier lamented the lack of attention to the issue, alleging that investors were pulling out their capital and factories were shutting down.
Khan also criticised the military trials related to the events of May 9, stating that if trials were held in open court, the video footage from that day would have to be presented. He claimed that the video evidence of an attack on him at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad on March 18, 2023, was deliberately destroyed. “A transparent trial is a fundamental constitutional right of citizens.”
He argued that conducting cases in military courts has “stripped citizens of their basic rights and has severely damaged” Pakistan’s reputation internationally.
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Khan emphasised that the primary role of intelligence agencies was to protect borders and prevent terrorism. He questioned the “focus of these agencies on political engineering and undermining the PTI party, asking who would safeguard the borders if their attention is diverted.”
He pointed out that Afghanistan has been bombarded twice, with initial claims suggesting that forcibly repatriating refugees would reduce terrorism. The PTI founder argued that such an approach has only fueled resentment.
