ISLAMABAD: Having been excluded from the electoral process, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), declared on Friday that he is a politician open to dialogue and is “ready to talk”.
“I’ve been saying for the last 19 months that I’m ready to talk… I’m a politician,” Khan informed reporters from Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, where he is detained in various cases. The PTI leader, removed through a no-confidence move in April 2022, has encountered successive setbacks in the lead-up to the general elections.
Initially imprisoned in May of the previous year, the PTI experienced a departure of leaders and cases against its remaining members. Subsequently, the party’s electoral symbol—a significant driver of voter support—was withdrawn this month, and the PTI-Nazriati, the party with which it intended to form an alliance, also reneged on its commitment.
As the beleaguered PTI faces challenges, its primary rivals—the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)—have already initiated nationwide campaigns and issued tickets for national and provincial constituencies.
Confidently asserting that the elections are now a contest between two parties, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari stated that the PTI is no longer in the electoral race, as its candidates will be running independently.
Reflecting on the current political landscape, Khan remarked that efforts were being made to establish a “controlled parliament.”
Acknowledging his mistake, Khan admitted, “My biggest mistake was to accept a weak government. Instead of a weak government, I should have held elections again. It would be better to sit in the opposition rather than a weak coalition government.”
In response to a query, the PTI founder emphasized that a hung parliament or a feeble government could not effectively address the economic challenges facing the country. He added, “Reforms and improvement can only be done by a strong government.”
With general elections scheduled for February 8, Khan’s hopes were dashed as the Lahore High Court (LHC) rejected his appeal against the rejection of nomination papers earlier this week.
(Islamabad51_Newsdesk)
