- Aleema says PTI founder rejects participation in by-elections.
- Says punishments, disqualifications unprecedented in Pakistan.
- Imran expresses sorrow over flood devastation in Buner.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has instructed party members to resign from all parliamentary committees, his sister Aleema Khan said on Tuesday.
“He [PTI founder] has ordered party members to tender their resignations from all standing committees in the National Assembly,” she said while speaking to journalists outside Adiala jail after meeting her brother.
She said the PTI founder also issued directives to PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar and general secretary Salman Akram Raja regarding the upcoming by-elections. “He [Imran] said contesting the by-elections would only give legal justification to those polls,” Aleema added.
Earlier, it was reported that Aleema had opposed participation in the by-elections, saying that the decision was totally against Khan’s clear instructions.
Raja, however, reportedly conveyed the political committee’s position and voting breakdown to her. According to sources, 13 members of the committee favoured contesting the by-elections, while 9 were opposed.
The disagreement reportedly left Raja disheartened, ultimately prompting his decision to tender resignation from the key party role.
However, Raja — earlier in the day — said Imran had refused to accept his resignation from party’s secretary general post.
Separately, sources told Geo News that Imran has nominated Majlis Wahdat-e-Muslimeen (MWM) chief Allama Nasir Abbas and Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) Chairman Mahmood Khan Achakzai for the post of opposition leaders in Senate and National Assembly, respectively.
Furthermore, sources added that Imran has also ordered his party to boycott the upcoming by-elections.
Sharing details of the meeting today, Aleema said the PTI founder expressed distress over his wife Bushra Bibi’s situation and was informed about the arrests of Shershah and Shahrez.
“Imran said that such punishments and disqualifications have never taken place before in Pakistan,” she noted.
Shershah and Shahrez were arrested over their alleged involvement in May 9, 2023, riots, as the police claimed to have video evidence against the former for his presence at the Jinnah House on that day, a first information report (FIR) stated.
The FIR stated that Shershah was accused of carrying out attacks on policemen during the riots, adding that the police possessed a video record as evidence of his presence at the scene.
Regarding Shahrez, it emerged that his name appeared in a supplementary investigation report in September 2023, sources added.
Speaking to media, she quoted the PTI founder as saying that cricket had been destroyed by Mohsin Naqvi — who is the chairman of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Aleema further said the PTI founder expressed sorrow over the devastation caused by floods in Buner and other areas.
Regarding his health, Aleema clarified that Imran was in good condition, though he had an eye problem for which a petition would be filed in court. “Doctors from Pims hospital will be called for his eye treatment,” she confirmed.
Aleema said she and her sisters had been attempting to meet the PTI founder for three months but were not allowed. “Today, by the grace of Allah, we were able to meet him,” she said, adding that it was the first meeting of all sisters with him after four months.
