Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding leader Imran Khan has alleged that the establishment is responsible for the disappearance of Ali Amin Gandapur adding that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chief minister has remained silent out of loyalty and respect for the establishment. Speaking informally to journalists at Adiala Jail on Friday, Imran further claimed that the current situation in the country is reminiscent of “Yahya Khan Part II,” accusing the establishment of undermining the country’s institutions. He stated that public trust in the police and lower judiciary has diminished, citing an alleged incident of a judge taking ‘three hours of instructions before ruling against Bushra Bibi.’ The PTI chairman welcomed Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s statement against extending tenures for military and judicial officials, expressing relief that the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief does not support such extensions. He also criticised Nawaz Sharif for what he said was an attack on the judiciary carried out by allegedly offering extensions. Imran specifically targeted Supreme Court Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa over the extension issue. Imran said that Pakistan’s lack of foreign investment compared to countries like Singapore, where $140 billion has been invested, is due to the absence of rule of law in Pakistan. He claimed that overseas Pakistanis are key to the country’s future, adding that the country can only gain independence from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) when they start investing in Pakistan. He also reiterated his claim that Gandapur was disappeared by elements within the establishment, further alleging that everyone knows who is responsible for such actions in the country. Imran also spoke on the current state of governance, claiming that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif required approval for every decision and could soon face a similar fate of disappearance. Khan expressed frustration over the delay in the progress on the Toshakhana case, stating that despite submitting multiple requests for an expedited hearing, the Supreme Court has yet to schedule it. He compared this to the prompt scheduling of cases by the Election Commission, accusing the Chief Election Commissioner of colluding with certain judges to target PTI.