PTI founder stands by his statement of 'talks with army'

RAWALPINDI: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan said on Saturday that he is ready to hold talks but only within the constitutional limits.

“I will hold talks while staying within the Constitution,” the PTI founder said while speaking to reporters inside the Adia jail.

Imran Khan’s remarks came days after he expressed his willingness to hold negotiations with the military as he asked the latter to nominate a representative to hold a meeting.

“We are ready to hold talks with the military. The army should nominate their representative for negotiations,” Khan had said.

Continuing on the prospects of negotiations, the former prime minister reiterated the party’s longtime demand for their allegedly stolen mandate to be returned.

Responding to a question Mahmood Khan Achakzai has allegedly refused to talk with the army, Khan said: “Achakzai will only [hold] talk with political parties.”

 

On a question regarding the termination of Sher Afzal Marwat’s party membership, the former prime minister initially gave no response.

It is to be noted that PTI on Friday suspended the basic party membership of Sher Afzal Marwat for “gross violation/ breach” of discipline, but party chairman Barrister Gohar termed the notification “fake”.

Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan, former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, and numerous party workers are facing multiple charges related to the violent riots that erupted on May 9 last year, following Khan’s arrest.

The riots resulted in the vandalism of several military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore, and other facilities, at the hands of rampaging mobs.