Pakistan: PTI chief Imran Khan rejects offer of house arrest, demands release of political prisoners

Imran Khan. Pic/AFP

Incarcerated former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan alleged that he was offered the option of house arrest in exchange for agreeing to negotiations. However, Khan rejected the offer, saying that political prisoners must first be released.

Speaking to lawyers and journalists at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Thursday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief, Khan, described the year 2024 as a challenging year for Pakistan.

In his post on X, Khan said, "The proposal I received for a deal was: "Negotiate with us, and we will give your party 'political space', but you will be placed under house arrest and moved to Bani Gala." My response was that all other political prisoners must first be released. I would rather stay in jail than accept any deal. I will neither go into house arrest nor to any jail in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. My message to my nation is to not lose heart; your captain is standing firm!"

Khan also called on overseas Pakistanis to join a campaign to boycott remittances.

He criticized the lack of attention to the rule of law in the country, which he said had led to investors withdrawing their capital and factories shutting down. Khan argued that had the rule of law been prioritized, Pakistan would have attracted investments, stabilising the country's economy.

Speaking about the use of military courts in trials of citizens and the divergence of Pakistan's intelligence agencies towards "political engineering and dismantling PTI", Khan said, "A transparent trial is a fundamental constitutional right of citizens. Trying cases in military courts has violated the basic rights of citizens and has caused severe embarrassment for Pakistan at an international level."

He added, "Intelligence agencies are meant to safeguard our borders and prevent terrorism. Who will guard our borders if their focus is on political engineering and dismantling PTI? They must rethink their policies. Afghanistan has been bombed twice. Earlier, it was claimed that forcibly repatriating refugees would reduce terrorism, but it only fueled hatred, which is detrimental to regional peace. Not once did Bilawal, when he was the Foreign Minister, visit Afghanistan although that should have been the priority. I had even told General (Rtd.) Bajwa to not replace General (Rtd.) Faiz because the situation in Afghanistan would be very different after the US forces exited. However, he was making decisions to enable his own extension rather than to benefit Pakistan. Which is why Pakistan suffered as there was an increase in terrorism."

As per Pakistan Tehreek-I-Insaaf, Imran Khan has been in jail for over 500 days now.

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