Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said on Friday that negotiations with the government will only go forward if they are willing to dissolve the National Assembly and hold elections forthwith, a private TV channel reported.

“I have told both of them to only go forward with the talks if the government is willing to dissolve the assemblies immediately and hold elections,” Imran Khan told reporters informally while sitting next to two of the three members representing the PTI in the negotiations, Fawad Chaudhry and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, ahead of his hearing at the Islamabad High Court (HC) where he was seeking protective bail in a sedition case.

“If they bring up [holding elections in] September or October again, then there is no need [for negotiations],” he said, maintaining that now “the ball is in the government’s court”. “If they want to hold elections on the same date, then they should,” said Imran, as he urged the government heed to the PTI’s demand for dissolving the assembly. Imran also denied his party’s involvement in any attempts to sabotage the talks saying “there was no such statement from our side”.

When asked by a journalist if there was a chance the PTI might return to the national and provincial assemblies and end their boycott, Imran retorted if there even was a Constitution in place. “They [the rival parties] want to break the Constitution but we stand by it,” he continued, “we are standing by rule of law and they are committing contempt of court”. Imran stressed that “if elections are not held on May 14, then it would be a breach of the Constitution”, fearing that if that were to happen then “whoever is powerful will have their way”. The PTI chief also censured former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa for having “imposed a band of thieves” on the country.

He also spoke of a controversy initiated after a journalist made revelations concerning Gen Bajwa’s off-record claims of Pakistan’s unpreparedness in combat. “I know more things than that, but this is a national security issue,” said Imran. “I don’t want any international news to be made that would harm the country,” he added. Later, while addressing his supporters at Zaman Park via a video link at night, Imran said his party would make a decision regarding the talks by Saturday. He further claimed that the government had proposed to dissolve the assemblies after the budget. “I ask them what will you achieve with the budget? You have already led the country to default,” he remarked.

After the high court granted him bail in the case filed against him for allegedly inciting public against institution till May 3, he took to Twitter claiming that the Islamabad police had taken peaceful PTI workers into custody from outside the IHC. “Our workers were sitting in their vehicles peacefully when ICT police in brazen display of State oppression pulled them out & took them away. This is why they want elections to be delayed because they feel they can break PTI by then, through fear of jail & harassment. Won’t work,” he wrote while tweeting a video showing police officials arresting his party supporters.