Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, dismissed the notion of a new “king’s party” being formed from the PTI, arguing that such attempts had been unsuccessful before and would be doomed to fail in the future as well.
In a video address on Tuesday, Khan suggested that the upcoming elections would see a division of seats among the emerging “king’s party,” the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Yet, he expressed skepticism about a “fabricated” coalition’s ability to navigate the nation through the ongoing crises.
“Effective governance, which Pakistan urgently requires, is derived from popular support, not from the backing of the establishment,” the PTI chairman stated.
While discussing the departure of several PTI leaders, Imran Khan claimed that the party’s secondary leadership was the first to succumb to external pressures.
“At present, they’re aiming to detach our ticket holders for the Punjab Assembly elections,” Khan noted, indicating that this endeavor was proving challenging for multiple reasons.
“Primarily, I awarded the tickets predominantly to party ideologues, who are currently resisting the pressures. Additionally, there is widespread public anger and frustration over the denial of their rights,” Khan stated.
He also asserted that potential defectors understand the risk of their political careers ending upon leaving the party.
The PTI chairman acknowledged the party’s current struggles, stating, “We’re in difficult times, with both the government and institutions seemingly intent on suppressing PTI.”
Khan alleged that PTI leaders, including Senator Ejaz Chaudhry, former Punjab Governor Omar Sarfraz Cheema, and Mian Mahmoodur Rashid, were subjected to abuse. “I have seen their videos,” he added.
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Imran Khan suggested that the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), National Accountability Bureau (NAB), and police are primarily tasked with developing cases against him and the PTI. He claimed that the police are relentlessly targeting anyone associated with the PTI, leading to the demolition of homes and businesses of PTI leaders and supporters.
However, Khan strongly rejected comparisons between his party’s current plight and the circumstances when he served as Prime Minister.
“We never resorted to torture. We never victimized women or demolished homes,” Khan affirmed.
Despite these tribulations, Khan reassured his supporters, stating his life was at the greatest risk, but he would remain unyielding.
In a separate interview with BBC News, Imran Khan referred to the current state as “untenable,” implying that “terror tactics” could only persist for a limited period. He also dismissed the notion that the departure of PTI’s central leaders constituted a significant crisis.
“We’ll replace all the positions left vacant by those who have departed. There is a fresh wave of young blood, new people stepping in, although they may face arrest as well,” he told BBC.
While anticipating his potential arrest, Khan concluded, “The assumption that I would concede to this or remain silent about it is a fallacy.”
