Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Trade and Industry, Rana Ehsan Afzal, has said that the government may consider pardoning former Prime Minister Imran Khan if he formally seeks forgiveness for his actions. Imran Khan has been in Adiala Jail since August 2023, serving a sentence in a £190 million corruption case, while also facing other charges related to the May 9, 2023 protests.
During a recent interview, Rana Ehsan stated that if Imran Khan submits a written apology to the President of Pakistan, there is a clear possibility his sentence could be waived. He explained that the law allows space for such appeals, and apart from this legal route, the government holds no independent authority to cancel his punishment.
The minister emphasized that the charges against Imran Khan have already been proven, which is why any plea for forgiveness could be taken seriously. However, he also mentioned that the sentence following the May 9 riots does not mean all political dialogue is over. He highlighted that in politics, rivalry should not block communication between parties.
Rana Ehsan blamed Imran Khan for deepening the country’s political divide, which he described as a major weakness in today’s political atmosphere. He claimed that while other parties are open to dialogue on national issues, PTI remains the only one that rejects inter-party discussions, blocking potential solutions.
Meanwhile, PPP Secretary General Nayyar Bukhari also weighed in, saying the state has the constitutional power to pardon any sentence. He stressed that both filing and withdrawing cases fall under state authority. However, he underlined that any relief or reconciliation can only happen through meaningful talks, asking, “Where will the relief come from if there’s no dialogue?”
On the ground, PTI workers recently launched nationwide protests demanding Imran Khan’s release. Police arrested many participants in Lahore and Karachi. However, the party leadership failed to organize a major demonstration in Islamabad or Rawalpindi, as security forces detained several supporters, including women, attempting to march in the capital.