Islamabad, Pakistan – In a surprising twist, the PTI Chairman Imran Khan publicly backed Ali Amin Gandapur, casting away criticism against the statements given by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister in a public rally recently. Khan, just after a court hearing, also announced to have completely stopped any future talks with the establishment as they had betrayed the party.
Statement of Imran Khan at Adiala Jail:
After the hearing of the £190 million corruption case in Adiala Jail, Imran Khan came all out in support of Ali Amin Gandapur and said the speech depicted what was in the hearts and minds of the people. Khan went on to criticize the establishment for taking the KP chief minister into custody after the Islamabad rally and threatened to take severe vengeance for
the committed ‘crime’.
Condemnation and Apologies :
The controversial remarks of Gandapur, particularly against the media, women, and the establishment, had drawn sharp criticism from different quarters. The two PTI leaders, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Omar Ayub, tendered open apologies for the controversial speech, though Khan supported the chief minister’s remarks, claiming they reflected the frustration of the people.Dialogue with the Establishment Is Over:
A day after announcing the PTI had, upon the establishment’s request, postponed its August 22 rally, Imran Khan announced that his party was no longer willing to hold talks with the establishment. He reiterated how PTI was being lied to over their Sept 8 public gathering and vowed no one would be allowed to create hurdles in the way of the rally scheduled for Sept 21 in Lahore.Controversy over the Constitutional Package:
He also assailed the proposed constitutional package by the government, which would increase the tenure of the Chief Justice of Pakistan. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar announced that his party would oppose this package, because it will make a threat to the independence of the judiciary. Already the PTI MNAs are facing different pressures for supporting the proposal for increasing the tenure of the CJP but the PTI is inflexible.
Arrested leaders of the PTI:
The arrest of several PTI legislators in the wake of Monday’s National Assembly session marked an escalation in the political temperature. Barrister Gohar, who was among those briefly detained, slammed the arrest as an “attack on the parliament” and asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to probe.
Legal Proceedings in Corruption and Toshakhana Cases:
Meanwhile, the court proceedings in the £190m corruption case against Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were adjourned owing to the unavailability of the defense counsel representing the couple. Moreover, the duo has also been summoned in a fresh Toshakhana reference pertaining to the Bvlgari jewelry set which will be heard on Sept 16.
As Imran Khan has intensified the blame games against the establishment and vowed to go ahead with rallies under the PTI, the political temperature soars further in Pakistan. The two factors of resistance by the party leadership against the constitutional package and arrests add to the unfolding political drama.