ISLAMABAD: A group of former leaders of jailed ex-premier Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has requested the government to release several high-profile PTI leaders on parole, describing the move as a vital “confidence-building measure” to end the political polarization in the country.
The request, sent on Tuesday by a newly formed National Dialogue Committee (NDC), comes days after a special court in Islamabad sentenced Khan and his wife, Bushra Bibi, to 17 years on charges of understating the value of state gifts before acquiring them for personal use.
PTI criticized the verdict, calling it politically motivated, as the sentence further deepened the rift between the government and Khan’s party.
“We firmly believe that in the current political, economic, and institutional crises, dialogue and reconciliation are the only viable path forward,” the committee stated in the letter addressed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, a copy of which was shared with Arab News by former PTI federal minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, one of its authors along with former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail and Mahmood Maulvi.
The letter specifically calls for the release on parole of senior PTI figures in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat Jail, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr. Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mehmood-ur-Rasheed and Ejaz Chaudhry. The authors argued that these leaders are essential to “lead and participate effectively” in any meaningful negotiations.
“This goodwill gesture would not only create an extremely positive, conducive, and trust-filled environment for the negotiations but would also lay a strong foundation for restoring mutual confidence among all stakeholders,” it added. “Such a confidence-building step could play a pivotal role in making the talks fruitful and in steering Pakistan away from division and confrontation toward unity and progress.”
Pakistan’s political landscape has remained volatile since April 2022, when Khan was ousted from power in a parliamentary no-confidence vote. Since then, the PTI has complained of a widespread state crackdown, while Khan and his senior party colleagues have been embroiled in dozens of legal cases.
While the government has made intermittent offers of talks, previous attempts at dialogue have stalled over the PTI’s demands for the release of political prisoners and the formation of judicial commissions to investigate alleged electoral fraud.
The prime minister on Tuesday reiterated his openness to talks during a cabinet meeting, stating the government was “absolutely ready,” though he cautioned that negotiations could not proceed on the basis of “blackmailing” or “unlawful demands.”
The initiative by the former PTI leaders, who have distanced themselves from the party’s current hard-line stance following the May 9 riots last year, represents an attempt to bridge the gap between the incarcerated leadership and the Sharif administration.
Khan’s party has not reacted to Sharif’s offer yet.
However, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, speaking to Bol TV earlier this week, said that dialogue with the government should not be ruled out, saying political movements should be accompanied by parallel engagement.
“The opposition must be given space,” he said. “I strongly support dialogue. Whatever movement takes place, dialogue should continue alongside it. This is something we should not give up.”
