ISLAMABAD – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has demanded the release of party leaders including Imran Khan.
Responding to Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir’s statement, he said that healing touch means that there should be no political prisoners in Pakistan.
On Saturday, COAS congratulated the nation on the conduct of general elections. He had said the nation needs stable hands and a healing touch to move on from the politics of anarchy and polarisation, which does not suit a progressive country of 250 million people. Elections are not a zero-sum competition of winning and losing but an exercise to determine the mandate of the people, he stated.
In an interview with a foreign media outlet, Barrister Gohar Khan said that PTI’s mandate should be respected and without that, there could be no healing touch.
Referring to COAS’s stance on unified government, he said that it does not necessarily mean a coalition government. He said that a united government means that every party should be united in one thing, which is that one has to respect and regard people’s mandate first.
While referring to the crackdown against PTI, he said that the people have spoken through votes and for the first time in a very tough situation. He said that 95 out of the 102 total independent candidates were backed by the PTI. The PTI will also contest the results on at least 50 seats, he said, adding that the results have been manipulated there.
He claimed that the PTI was near victory in Punjab and had a two-thirds majority in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
“We are close to the final figure in the centre”, he said, adding that the PTI hoped to form the government in the centre, as well as Punjab and the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He complained about inordinate delays in results even two days after the completion of the polling process. He demanded the ECP to announce all the results by Sunday night, saying PTI would hold protests in front of the RO offices in all those areas where results have not been announced.
He expressed hope for the release of Imran Khan after setting aside his conviction by the higher judiciary.
