ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has blocked the return of those politicos who had deserted the party until he is released from prison.
After the violent protests of May 9, 2023, a plethora of PTI leaders had announced to quit the party as a crackdown was launched against them for their incendiary speeches and attacking state installations.
A few months later and ahead of the February 8 elections, reports had emerged that some deserters desired to join the party’s ranks once more, but the PTI leadership categorically denied taking anyone back.
On order of the former prime minister, a seven-member committee has been formed that will decide fate of the PTI leaders’ return to the party-fold, the sources added. The committee will be led by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and comprise Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan, Shehryar Afridi, Barrister Gohar and Shibli Faraz, the sources said.
They said the body would send a list of final names to the PTI founder who would take decision about them. Meanwhile, they said, Shandana Gulzar will report on the PTI women’s cases as well as the leaders’ reasons behind quitting the party.
On the other hand, Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan’s detention is arbitrary and in violation of international law, a UN human rights working group said in an opinion issued on Monday, adding the jailed politician should be released immediately.
The Geneva-based UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention said that the “appropriate remedy would be to release Mr Khan immediately and accord him an enforceable right to compensation and other reparations, in accordance with international law.”
The UN working group said Khan’s legal woes were part of a “much larger campaign of repression” against him and his PTI party. It said that in the lead up to the 2024 elections, members of Khan’s party were arrested and tortured and their rallies were disrupted. It also alleged “widespread fraud on election day, stealing dozens of parliamentary seats.”
The Pakistani embassy in Washington had no immediate comment.
Pakistan’s election commission denies that the elections were rigged. Khan has been in jail since last August and was convicted in some cases ahead of a national election in February.
He is also fighting dozens of other cases which are continuing. Khan and his party say the charges were politically motivated to thwart his return to power.
In recent months, Pakistani courts have suspended Khan’s jail sentences in two cases about the illegal acquisition and sale of state gifts, and also overturned his conviction on charges of leaking state secrets. However, he has remained in prison due to a conviction in another case in which a trial court ruled that his 2018 marriage was unlawful. Khan also faces a trial under anti-terrorism charges in connection with violence in May last year. –Agencies
