- Khan expresses confidence in Raja’s loyalty to PTI.
- PTI founder informed about corruption in Mansehra: Swati.
- Raja rules out infighting among Punjab leadership.
RAWALPINDI: Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan said on Tuesday that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) speaker should submit his resignation if a decision was taken by the party’s committee.
Khan’s statement was quoted by PTI leader Azam Swati, who met him today at Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail.
Talking to the media outside the jail premises, Swati said he met the PTI founder with two other leaders.
He said that Khan expressed his confidence in Salman Akram Raja’s loyalty to the party, saying that the latter would not go against the PTI leadership.
He also said that they apprised the PTI founder about corruption in Mansehra, adding that he urged Khan to bring forward the matters related to the party’s committee.
It is noteworthy to mention here that the former ruling party had formed a three-member committee to keep an eye on the KP government and ensure that none of the cabinet members could get involved in misuse of power or corruption in the province.
According to The News, Khan suggested former governor Shah Farman, senior lawyer Qazi Anwar and the party member of the National Assembly from the Malakand region, Junaid Akbar Khan to be part of the committee.
However, Akbar was later dropped from the committee and replaced by Brig (retired) Mussadiq Abbasi. Abbasi is presently working as Special Assistant to KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur on Anti-Corruption.
Swati, speaking to the media, further said that the PTI founder also ordered the immediate reversal of appointments made by PTI KP President Akbar. He added that they told Khan that Akbar was doing a good job as the party’s top leader in the PTI-ruled province.
Furthermore, Khan was also briefed on matters related to the PTI in Punjab, said Swati. He said that Aliya Hamza was being obstructed. He claimed that Sardar Khan and Ikram Ullah were also facing corruption accusations.
Commenting on Khan’s jail term, Swati said that they have to secure release for the PTI founder.
The former minister said that KP CM was not a silent spectator on corruption, and he met Khan after getting permission from Gandapur.
PTI Secretary General Raja also addressed the media outside the prison. He said that he would discuss the related matters with Akbar following Swati’s statement.
Raja said that a discussion could be held on complaints against the Punjab leadership. He, however, ruled out infighting among the Punjab leadership regardless of some minor differences.
Prior to this development, PTI leaders, who gathered at Adiala jail to meet Khan, had arguments with the jail officials after several leaders were not given permission to enter the premises.
The leaders included Swati, Nadia Khattak, Mubashir Awan, Raja, Niaz Ullah Niazi, Faisal Malik, and Shoaib Shaheen. However, the jail administration only allowed Swati, Khattak and Mubashir to meet the PTI founder.
Raja criticised that the jail officials were picking people to meet Khan despite court orders that directed Adiala’s administration to follow a list provided by him, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan or Intezar Panjutha.
After an exchange of harsh words, the jail administration allowed a few PTI leaders to meet Khan.
Last week, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) restored visiting days for incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, allowing people to meet him every Tuesday and Thursday.
Only those individuals whose names are provided by PTI founder’s coordinator Raja will be permitted to meet him.
The latest development in the legal saga about the former prime minister’s visitation rights as IHC Acting Chief Justice Sarfraz Dogar heard the combined pleas on the said issue.
The three-member bench, which also includes Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir and Justice Muhammad Azam Khan, was formed by Justice Dogar last week who also merged various petitions about Khan’s meeting rights in response to a plea filed by jail Superintendent Abdul Ghafoor Anjum.
