PTI offered to defer Nov 24 protest in exchange for relief, says Imran

Days ahead of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) “do-or-die” protest in Islamabad, incarcerated party founder Imran Khan said that he received an “offer” via top party leaders to postpone his November 24 demostration.

“I was told that everything would be alright if I accepted the offer,” the ousted prime minister said while speaking to journalists in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. 

Imran’s lawyer Khalid Yousaf Chaudhry and sister Aleema Khan, on Nov 19, said that the former premier has given a go-ahead to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur to hold talks but only with the “powerful quarters” — a reference to the establishment.

The former ruling party, for months, has been engaged in a political tug-of-war with the ruling coalition — which it alleges came into power via rigged February 8 polls — and has held multiple protests in the federal capital.

In continuation of what PTI calls “a struggle”, the incarcerated party founder, last week, called for “final” nationwide protest against the alleged rigging in the February 8 elections, arrests of party workers, and the passage of the judiciary-centric 26th Constitutional Amendment.

“[I] received an offer via Barrister Gohar and [KP CM] Gandapur to postpone the protest and everything will be alright,” Imran said today, adding that he demanded the release of under-trial party leaders, including himself, to “gauge the seriousness of the negotiations”.

The ousted premier noted that his demand could be met immediately, but no action was taken. “Talks are an ongoing process but it confirmed that they were not serious,” he said, adding that they only want to postpone the protest.

He further said that the incumbent government had a “golden opportunity” to release him a day earlier following the approval of bail by the Islamabad High Court (IHC). He added that the government wanted to “prolong the matter” by implicating him.

This is a developing story and is being updated with further details