ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram has condemned the £190 million corruption case against former prime minister Imran Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, labelling it the “worst example of political victimisation.”
Speaking at a press conference in Peshawar on Monday, Akram warned that the public would not tol-erate further injustice against the imprisoned ex-premier.
Akram’s remarks followed the postponement of the verdict in the case, which had been expected to be delivered today but was rescheduled to January 6 by an Islamabad accountability court.
He expressed frustration over the delay, questioning why the verdict had been postponed and what was causing such complications in delivering the judgment.
Akram questioned the delay in the verdict of the Al-Qadir Trust case, stating, “The decision in the case was supposed to be announced today, but it has been postponed. We want to know where the judg-ment is being written and why it is taking so long. There is nothing substantial in this case, yet it is being dragged on as a tool for political revenge.”
The PTI leader stated that the case was politically motivated, describing it as “political revenge.” He criticised the government for using the case to target Khan, who he called the “biggest leader” of Paki-stan, and warned that the situation would attract international attention.
He reiterated that the case was based on a “fabricated story” and claimed that it was an attempt to pressure Khan to submit to the government’s demands. Akram defended the PTI founder, stating that Khan was merely a trustee of the trust and that there was no substance to the case. The PTI continues to claim that the charges against their leader are part of a broader campaign of political harassment by the ruling government.
He further raised concerns over the military court trials of those accused in the May 9th incidents, warning that such actions could harm the country’s economy, stressing that civilian trials in military courts violate both Pakistan’s constitution and international laws.
Akram specifically pointed out the European Union’s reaction to the military trials, noting that if former prime minister Imran Khan were convicted in the Al-Qadir Trust case, it could jeopardise Pakistan’s Generalized System of Preferences (GSP+) status with the EU.
The GSP+ agreement, which provides trade benefits to Pakistan, was a result of significant diplomatic efforts, and Akram stressed that any breach of international agreements would negatively impact Pakistan’s exports and its relations with global partners.
“The European Union has expressed concern over this decision. Civilian trials in military courts violate international agreements, including Article 14, which obliges Pakistan to ensure fair judicial processes,” Akram said.
He accused the government of going to extreme lengths to suppress political opposition, even at the cost of violating international commitments.
He added that PTI’s negotiation committee should be allowed to meet with Imran Khan, as it was es-tablished by him and has the authority to conduct negotiations on his behalf.
Addressing concerns about terrorism, Akram made it clear that PTI should not be equated with ex-tremist groups like Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, Al-Qaeda, or the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). He argued that civilian trials in military courts should not apply to any political party, regardless of affiliation, and asserted that military court proceedings should be reserved for cases involving military personnel.
He clarified that PTI has no connection to the internal military matters surrounding General Faiz Hameed’s court-martial, calling it an issue for the army to resolve within its own ranks. –Agencies
