Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has ruled out any “give-and-take” deals for his personal relief, making it clear that any dialogue he would engage in would be strictly in the interest of Pakistan.This was conveyed by Senator Ali Zafar, who recently met Imran Khan at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where the former premier has been detained since August 2023 on a variety of charges, including corruption and terrorism.“Imran Khan has said he is willing to engage in negotiations for the sake of national unity,” Ali Zafar told reporters outside the prison. “However, these talks must be transparent, honest, and solely for the country’s benefit, not for personal gains.”Ali Zafar quoted Imran Khan as saying, “If I had wanted relief, I would have asked for it long ago.”The statement from Imran came after his sister, Aleema Khan, called for dialogue through a “give-and-take” formula. Despite this, Imran emphasized that his stance remains focused on the national interest rather than personal bargaining.Ali Zafar also mentioned that Imran Khan reiterated his call for timely justice in all legal cases against him and other PTI leaders, accusing the authorities of deliberately slowing down court proceedings. “I only want justice,” he quoted the former prime minister as saying.A few days earlier, Imran Khan had instructed his party to begin preparations for a nationwide protest campaign against the current government. Aleema Khan conveyed that while Imran would not ask supporters to gather in Islamabad, he wanted a nationwide movement to be launched.“Start preparing for a mass movement,” Aleema quoted her brother. “I will not call people to Islamabad, but we will launch a movement across Pakistan.”She said Imran remained firm in his resolve despite facing what he described as state oppression and vowed to resist all forms of torture and coercion. “Imran Khan has made it clear that even if he has to spend his entire life in prison, he will not submit to this injustice,” she added.Meanwhile, PTI central information secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram on Wednesday rejected media reports suggesting that the party was holding negotiations with the government. Speaking at a news conference, he clarified that Imran Khan has denied initiating any such talks.“You can’t plunge daggers of hatred into someone and still expect to find goodwill,” Akram said. He added that the negotiation committee was established by Imran himself and that any participation in dialogue would follow his direction.
