ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leader Asad Qaiser on Wednesday expressed optimism that PTI founder Imran Khan will be released soon, claiming that he cannot be kept in jail for much longer despite court orders.
Speaking to a private TV Channel program, Qaiser criticized the current government, which he described as a product of Form 47, and accused it of operating in a manner that disregards the will of the people.
Qaiser, who was part of a PTI delegation attempting to meet Khan in jail, revealed that the group had received an order from the Islamabad High Court allowing them to meet the former Prime Minister. Despite this, he said, PTI leaders were met with police resistance.
“We were abused, pushed, and not allowed to meet Imran Khan,” he stated, adding that the police misrepresented the situation. He also pointed out that they were following the court’s directive and did not violate Section 144.
He further slammed senior government officials, accusing Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz of treating the country as their personal domain, and questioned the qualifications of the Islamabad Inspector General of Police, referring to him as a “doctor” but expressing doubts about the authenticity of his degree.
Qaiser announced that PTI would file a First Information Report (FIR) against the Inspector General of Police and other officials involved in blocking their
meeting with Khan. The PTI leader also vowed to summon them before the Parliament’s Human Rights Committee, stressing that the country should be governed according to the law, not through the personal preferences of a few individuals.
“The government is a product of Form 47 and will follow any order it receives. The country is being run by a few people according to their will,” Qaiser remarked. He emphasized that the path to progress lies in the equal treatment of all citizens.
Regarding PTI’s political position, Qaiser reiterated that despite the alleged theft of their electoral mandate, PTI remains the largest political party both in the National Assembly and in Punjab. “PTI is the largest party in both the National and Provincial Assemblies. Our workers are with us, they understand our leadership,” he said, underscoring that the party would continue to challenge the status quo.
He also announced plans for continued protests, both in the streets and in the courts, within the framework of the constitution. “No party has struggled for three years as PTI has. Our protests will continue. We will face cases in courts, but we will not back down,” he added.
In a direct challenge to the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Qaiser dared Nawaz and Shehbaz Sharif, along with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, to contest elections in any constituency, promising that PTI would field ordinary workers as candidates. However, he insisted that a “level playing field” and transparent elections are a prerequisite for any electoral contest.
“If we don’t win under these conditions, we will leave politics,” he declared. Qaiser concluded by expressing his belief that Imran Khan’s release is imminent, stating, “He cannot be kept in jail for long. We hope to see him free soon.”
