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Imran closes door on talks as indictment looms
• Charges in Toshakhana case to be framed against ex-PM, wife on Oct 2
• PTI founder cancels Rawalpindi rally on Saturday
• Raoof appointed head of party’s policy think tank
ISLAMABAD: PTI founding chairman Imran Khan on Thursday ruled out any further talks with the military establishment, calling it a “futile exercise”. The declaration followed an announcement by Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand that the PTI chief and his spouse Bushra Bibi would be indicted in the new Toshakhana case on Oct 2.
The couple has been accused of retaining an expensive Bvlgari jewellery set gifted by a foreign leader at a throwaway price.
Earlier, during the hearing, the defence counsel submitted the post-arrest bail application of the ex-PM and his wife and requested the court to decide it forthwith.
The prosecution, on the other hand, could not conclude counterarguments till the end of the proceedings and sought further time.
The court asked the prosecution to conclude arguments by Sept 28.
‘Seeking justice’
While addressing the judge during the hearing, Mr Khan said he was seeking justice and pointed out that he was convicted in three cases a week before the Feb 8 general elections.
He claimed that his spouse has “nothing to do with these cases”, yet she had been imprisoned.
While speaking to reporters later, Mr Khan said that talks with the military establishment is “an exercise in futility”. Therefore, PTI will not hold any dialogue with them.
When a reporter pointed out that PTI spokesman Raoof Hassan had said the party would talk to the establishment, Mr Khan replied that it may be because of some misunderstanding.
Mr Khan said he made it clear after the Sept 8 rally in Islamabad that there would be no talks with the establishment.
He once again demanded that the government appoint Justice Mansoor Ali Shah next chief justice and issue a notification.
He said he does not personally know Justice Shah, but it is written in the Constitution that the senior-most judge of the Supreme Court would become the CJP.
He recalled that the notification of the incumbent chief justice Qazi Faez Isa’s appointment was issued three months before the retirement of his predecessor.
In June 2023, the Ministry of Law and Justice notified Justice Isa’s appointment as the CJP after confirmation by then president Arif Alvi, three months before the retirement of Justice Umar Ata Bandial in September.
Mr Khan criticised CJP Justice Isa for not taking any action regarding the complaints of judges who received threats.
He claimed that the government is still trying to bring the constitutional amendment to parliament and vowed that PTI will “strongly resist such a move”.
No jalsa in Rawalpindi
The PTI founder also announced that his party will not hold a planned jalsa in Rawalpindi on Sept 28.
He said the decision was made due to an apprehension that the government would not allow his party to hold the event in the city and designate a location in the suburb as the venue.
He said that instead of a jalsa, the party would stage protests, and PTI lawyers would hold a demonstration outside the Supreme Court.
Raoof’s appointment
In a separate move, the PTI chairman appointed Raoof Hasan as head of the party’s ‘Policy Think Tank’.
A notification issued by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan said the appointment has been made on the instructions of Imran Khan.
There are also reports of further shake-ups in PTI’s top leadership, with party sources saying that Sheikh Waqas Akram is being considered for the post of central information secretary.
Ikram Junaidi also contributed to this report
Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024
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