Daily Times

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday struck a reconciliatory tone, saying he was ready to “talk to anyone” and “render any sacrifice” for the sake of the country’s “uplift, interest and democracy”.

Imran Khan, who has a number of cases against him, has been resisting arrest and is holed up inside his Zaman Park residence surrounded by thousands of supporters, who have fought “pitched battles” with the police and Rangers over the past few days.

“I will not refrain from any sacrifice for the sake of Pakistan’s uplift, interest and democracy,” he tweeted. “In this regard, I am willing to talk to anyone and take every step towards it.” “I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Pakistan who joined us in the struggle for true freedom and to our workers from all over Pakistan, including Lahore,” he added in another tweet.

Imran’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an olive branch to him, emphasising that all political forces will have to sit for dialogue to rid the country of the ongoing political and economic crises. The Islamabad police had attempted to arrest Imran Khan from his residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park area on Tuesday, leading to skirmishes between the police and PTI supporters.

The two sides battled for two days, with other law enforcement agencies joining the Islamabad police. Meanwhile, Imran Khan also thanked the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) for condemning the “excessive use of force by authorities” at Zaman Park in Lahore. Expressing gratitude to the association for their condemnation, Imran thanked them for taking a “firm stand” regarding the supremacy of Constitution and the rule of law in the country. “We also appreciate your condemnation of the excessive use of force by the authorities in Zaman Park”, read the tweet.