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ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday gave the go-ahead to two senior leaders of his party to hold negotiations with powers-that-be ahead of their November 24 protest in Islamabad.
The PTI chief also made it clear that neither he would postpone nor withdraw the protest call that is being labelled as “final call” by the ex-premier and his party.
Imran Khan has authorized Chairman PTI Gohar Ali Khan and Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur to talk with the ‘establishment’, Aleema Khan, the sister of ex-premier, confirmed.
Talking to reporters outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail following a meeting with her brother, she said that both the leaders had been given time till tomorrow (Thursday) to negotiate, noting that they would only talk on three key demands of the party.
Earlier this month, jailed leader Khan had appealed to his supporters and followers to converge in Islamabad on November 24 to hold a protest sit-in until the government met their demands. These include the revocation of 26th Amendment, restoration of alleged stolen mandate of his party in general elections and release of all political prisoners.
Aleema Khan said Gohar and Gandapur during their meeting with Khan in jail sought permission from him to hold talks with the establishment. “The doors of political parties are always open for talks,” she said while quoting her brother. But our talks will remain limited to a three-point agenda, including independence of judiciary, reclaiming of stolen mandate and release of political prisoners, Khan was quoted as saying this.
The PTI founder paid tributes to imprisoned ideological leadership of the party including Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Senator Ejaz Chaudhary, Mian Mehmoodur Rashid and Omar Sarfraz Cheema, she said. The former PM mentioned that ex-PTI lawmaker Andleeb Abbas was set free after condemning May 9 riots, but Dr Yasmin is facing jail because the latter stood with ideology, she added.
Aleema noted that if Khan secured bail in the ongoing Toshakhana case today, he would personally lead the November 24 demonstration.
Otherwise, PTI followers will reach Islamabad for his cause, she said, calling upon the party workers to reach Rawalpindi and Islamabad one or two days prior to the demonstration to avoid any hurdles that the government would create to stop their way. She hoped that residents of the twin cities would open doors of their homes for them.
“If talks remain successful, the November 24 rally could turn into celebrations,” she said, adding that the government has until Thursday to respond.
Separately in a statement on X, Imran Khan urged his supporters to join the protest. He also warned the PTI leaders and ticket holders to dissociate themselves from the party if they are unable to ensure their participation in the protest. “Because this is the decisive moment when the entire nation will come out for freedom. The nation will not accept any excuse at such a critical time,” he said.
He went on to say that this is a golden opportunity to secure genuine freedom for Pakistan. “Enslaved nations eventually die away. That is why, as a nation, we must be ready to choose death over slavery, and the call for protest on November 24th is not only for PTI but for the entire nation.”