ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have called on the judiciary to accelerate hearings on alleged election rigging and the controversial 26th Amendment, expressing frustration over the prolonged delay in verdicts despite the passage of a year.
During a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in the capital, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Omar Ayub, Senator Shibli Faraz, and party General Secretary Salman Akram Raja voiced their concerns.
Barrister Gohar emphasized that PTI had filed 74 petitions regarding alleged electoral fraud in the February 8, 2024, general elections. However, the courts had yet to rule on these cases. He also criticized the 26th Amendment, passed in October 2024, which facilitated the appointment of 46 judges to the high courts and the Supreme Court. Gohar claimed that the amendment had drawn criticism from legal experts and judges, leading PTI to boycott the Judicial Commission of Pakistan’s meeting. He urged the judiciary to resolve the matter swiftly.
Omar Ayub reinforced the demand for judicial independence and called for the immediate release of political prisoners, including PTI’s founder, who has been incarcerated for nearly 20 months. He also listed other detained party leaders, including Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, along with Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Yasmin Rashid, Mehmoodur Rasheed, and Hassan Niazi.
Accusing the ruling coalition of misleading the public with false economic growth claims, Ayub asserted that worsening economic conditions had eroded investor confidence in the country.
Speaking about electoral disputes, Salman Akram Raja lamented that only two tribunals were handling election-related petitions in Punjab, which he described as highly inadequate. Senator Shibli Faraz echoed his colleagues’ concerns, stating that Pakistan could not achieve political stability without fair and transparent elections.
Legal Concerns Over Case Hearings
Separately, PTI lawyer Faisal Chaudhry, speaking outside Adiala Jail, raised concerns over irregularities in case hearings. He alleged that judicial proceedings were being manipulated by external forces.
He also claimed that on October 3, Imran Khan was placed in isolation for three weeks and subjected to psychological distress, including the suspension of electricity and restrictions on family and legal visits. Despite multiple requests, Chaudhry said, they were repeatedly denied access to the former prime minister, suggesting deliberate efforts to obstruct justice.
Internal Party Rift: Fawad Chaudhry’s Allegations
Meanwhile, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry leveled serious accusations against the party’s current leadership, alleging that it was “planted” and uninterested in securing Imran Khan’s release.
Speaking at his ancestral home in Dina, Gujar Khan, Fawad criticized PTI’s leadership for failing to push for Khan’s freedom, arguing that both the establishment and the government had no interest in seeing him released.
He further claimed that opposition parties were open to forming a grand alliance but were reluctant to engage with PTI under its current leadership. “Initially, we doubted their competence, but now it’s clear—they were installed by the establishment to prevent Imran Khan from being freed,” he asserted.
Fawad also questioned the loyalty of key PTI figures like Salman Akram Raja, Raoof Hassan, and Sheikh Waqqas, alleging that they lacked genuine commitment to Imran Khan. He pointed out that Raja had previously represented former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the Panama Papers case and was more focused on personal financial gains as a corporate lawyer.
Announcing his efforts to reunite sidelined PTI veterans, Fawad Chaudhry revealed plans to establish the “Imran Khan Release Committee,” a platform solely dedicated to securing the ex-premier’s freedom. He emphasized that discussions about PTI’s future leadership would only take place after Khan’s release.
