——– Puts question why petitions on human rights and the February 8 case are not being heard in the SC
——– Submits written response in NAB amendments case
——– Requests SC to dismiss intra-court appeals
——– Claims NAB amendments aimed at protecting corrupt individuals
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) incarcerated and beleaguered founding chairperson Imran Khan emphasised the urgent need for the establishment to step back to ensure transparent elections in the country.
“If we want to save the country, the establishment must step back to move towards transparent elec-tions,” the former premier asserted during an informal talk with media in the Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail today.
The PTI supremo highlighted the drastic increase in national debt, stating that in 2021, it was Rs2.8 tril-lion, but within four years, it had surged to Rs8 to Rs9 trillion.
He criticised the current government for failing the nation, saying, “The current government has de-stroyed Pakistan’s hope; no one trusts this government anymore.”
Imran pointed out the severe economic burdens on the common people, noting, “The poor who used to have a 2,000 rupees bill now face a 10,000 rupees bill.”
In a previous media talk, Imran emphasised that the IMF cannot solve the country’s issues, asserting that the solution lies in fair and transparent elections.
He expressed concern that Pakistan, which once led until 1990, is now being surpassed by other na-tions.
He blamed the elite for stashing their wealth abroad and accused the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of “historic” rigging in the February 8 general elections.
“Everyone knows the ECP conducted fraudulent elections,” he accused.
Referring to the judiciary, Imran mentioned that the CJP Isa is sending his party to the ECP for justice, despite knowing the commission’s credibility issues.
Imran also questioned why their petitions on human rights and the February 8 case are not being heard in the Supreme Court of Pakistan.
He criticized the trial of civilians in military courts, questioning, “In which democracy do civilians get tried in military courts?”
Addressing media suppression, he claimed there are plans to curb the media. “Congress is saying that fraudulent elections took place in Pakistan,” he added.
In response to a journalist’s question about the establishment’s role, Imran said, “The establishment is running the country; the SIFC is running the country.”
When asked about a former cabinet member testifying against him, Imran brushed it off, saying, “I’ll talk about it later; he hasn’t said anything significant.”
On the topic of his hunger strike announcement, Imran confirmed, “I will definitely go on a hunger strike; I am waiting for some decisions.”
On July 4, Imran expressed his lack of confidence in the Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Qazi Faez Isa, and declared his intention to go on a hunger strike in jail.
Imran highlighted objections raised by his legal team regarding the judge’s repeated presence, indicat-ing a growing belief within his camp that justice may not be impartially served under these circum-stances.
The PTI founder referenced a recent decision by Justice Gulzar’s five-member bench, which supported his team’s stance that CJ should not preside over their cases. Additionally, he noted the administrative dynamics within the jail, mentioning the involvement of senior military officials in day-to-day opera-tions.
Referring to the incident where a scheduled meeting with his team was unexpectedly cancelled, Imran expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity to resolve internal disputes had the meeting proceeded as planned.
Earlier, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has said that the issue of amendments in the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) ordinance is not about himself but in fact relates to the whole of the country.
“This was not about personal gain but the greater good of our country and millions of Pakistanis who place their faith in a system that should serve them,” Khan said in his written submission to the apex court.
The former premier made the request while referring to a previous apex court order.
The PTI founder’s submission comes as the SC, last month, reserved its verdict on the federal and pro-vincial governments’ pleas challenging the apex court’s September 15 majority 2-1 judegment, which was announced by a bench led by former chief justice Umar Ata Bandial.
In 2022, the Pakistan Democratic Movement government made amendments to the National Ac-countability (NAB) Ordinance which were challenged by Imran Khan in the top court.
The move comes as the incarcerated prime minister shares a rather contentious history with CJP Isa as it was his government that had filed a presidential reference against the incumbent chief justice in 2019 for allegedly owning properties abroad under his wife and children’s names and not mentioning them in his wealth statement.
The reference was challenged by the judge in the SC and subsequently, a 10-member larger bench headed by the then chief justice Umar Ata Bandial dismissed it.
Later, Khan admitted that the filing of the presidential reference against CJP Isa was a “mistake”.
Moreover, the incumbent CJP has been part of various cases involving the former premier and his par-ty has voiced concerns in this regard.
PTI spokesperson, as per The News, has complained of his party being deprived of justice and that even its petitions weren’t being taken up by the courts.
“The PTI core committee wants that CJP Isa should not sit on benches in our cases […] unfortunately, the kind of decisions that are being delivered are seen to be biased; the element of favouritism in case verdicts strengthens our demand,” he claimed.
In his four-page written submission, the PTI founder further said: “Throughout my political career, I have consistently taken a stand against corruption, even at great personal risk and sacrifice, including my current imprisonment. My life’s work and sacrifices have always been dedicated to the fight against corruption and the establishment of justice,” Khan said.
Continuing, the ex-PM said that the NAB amendments were made with the sole intention of ending cases against those involved in corruption and that they did only terminated their cases but also signifi-cantly hindered the prosecution of white-collar crimes in the future.
“By undermining the rule of law, these amendments create an environment where corruption can flourish unchecked, deterring legitimate investment and stalling economic progress — harming the very people whose interest the legislators have been elected to protect.
“The amendments to NAB Ordinance, designed to protect the corrupt, will have long-term detrimental effects on our economy, making it harder for honest businesses to thrive and for foreign investors to trust our legal system,” he said.
On the issue of the abuse of powers by the anti-graft body, Khan said that the NAB Ordinance, in such cases, should be reformed to prevent such abuses.
He also referred to the Toshakhana case against him and said that a necklace worth Rs18 million was falsely declared as being worth Rs3.18 billion.
Reiterating his stance on the NAB amendments case, the PTI founder has requested the top court to dismiss the federal and provincial government’s intra-court appeals. –Agencies
