ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has instructed his party to prepare for a large-scale movement across Pakistan, vowing to challenge the government despite his incarceration.
Speaking to reporters on Monday outside the prison, Imran’s sister Aleema Khan relayed his message: “Begin preparing for a nationwide movement. I won’t call for a march on Islamabad, but we will take this movement across the country.”
Aleema emphasized Imran’s determination to resist any form of pressure or injustice. “He has made it clear: even if he spends his entire life behind bars, he will never surrender,” she said. She further revealed that Imran, a former prime minister, is being denied basic rights afforded to other prisoners, including family visits and access to personal doctors.
“In the past eight months, he has only been allowed one brief phone call with his children and has not been allowed to see his sisters,” Aleema added. She also mentioned that jail authorities have blocked efforts to send him books.
Aleema shared that Imran believes his wife, Bushra Bibi, is also being targeted to increase pressure on him. “Despite all this, he stands firm: he will not bow down,” she quoted him as saying.
She dismissed rumors of any back-channel negotiations for Imran’s release. “Some YouTubers are spreading stories about a foreign-brokered deal. These are just tactics to pacify the public,” she said.
On party matters, Imran reiterated PTI’s ideological commitment, rejecting political opportunism. “Our party is founded on ideology, not electables. Those who don’t align with this vision have no place in PTI,” she conveyed.
Aleema also highlighted Imran’s frustration over judicial delays, particularly in his ongoing corruption case. “The judges said they’d act, but nothing has happened,” she said.
She concluded by noting that PTI lawmakers plan to show their support for the judiciary: Punjab MPAs will visit the Lahore High Court, while MNAs from Islamabad and Peshawar will go to the Islamabad High Court to express solidarity.
