Islamabad, Jan 21: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Monday said his recent sentencing in the al-Qadir Trust corruption case was part of a political strategy to force him into making a deal, and has dismissed any suggestions of negotiations or compromise with the government.A Pakistani court on Friday sentenced Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi to 14 and seven years in prison respectively after finding them guilty of corruption in the 190 million pounds al-Qadir Trust case.
Khan, who is currently lodged in Adiala jail, is facing dozens of cases after he lost a trust vote in Parliament in 2022.
During a media interaction outside Adiala Jail, Khan’s sister Aleema Khan conveyed her brother’s position, stating that the PTI founding chairman has firmly rejected the notion of a deal, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
He is not going to make any deals. He has no intention of negotiating with the government. He will continue to face the cases against him, regardless of how long he stays in prison,” Aleema said.
Khan believes the sentence is politically motivated and designed to break his resolve.
Aleema clarified that Khan’s decision has nothing to do with any ongoing negotiation committees.
She also questioned the fairness of the judicial process, pointing out that former President Asif Ali Zardari and former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif were not held accountable in similar cases.
“Why is it only Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi who are facing these charges?” she asked.
The PTI leadership has expressed confidence that the higher courts will offer a fair hearing and allow them to present a detailed case. Khan’s legal team is preparing to challenge the conviction, believing that the proceedings will shed light on alleged political biases within the judicial system.
PTI will challenge the judgment in the Al-Qadir Trust case before the high court on Tuesday. It has termed the judgement “controversial” and said that Khan and Bushra Bibi were “wrongly” convicted.