Imran Khan willing to talk to all but only on matters related to elections: Lawyers

Imran Khan has been demanding early elections since he was ousted from power after he lost a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly in April last year

Islamabad: Pakistan’s jailed prime minister Imran Khan is willing to talk to any political party or institution only on matters related to holding elections in the country, his lawyers have said.

Khan, the Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, has been demanding early elections since he was ousted from power after he lost a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly in April last year.

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Subsequently, the 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician launched an aggressive campaign under the slogan of ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’, calling for elections and blaming the incumbent government led by Shehbaz Sharif and the army leadership for his ouster.

Taking to X on Saturday after meeting Khan in Punjab’s Attock jail, his lawyer, Barrister Gohar Khan said that the PTI chief “is willing to talk to all BUT about election”.

“Finally met Khan sab at Attock Jail with other colleagues. Alhamdulillah, he is in great spirit but concern about ongoing uncertainty, inflation, and terrorism,” he said.

Another of Khan’s lawyers Nadeem Haider Panjutha said the former premier has a clear message that unless there is political stability, there will be no economic stability in Pakistan.

The PTI chief said “we are ready to talk to everyone, but only on election,” Panjutha tweeted in Urdu.

Another of Khan’s lawyers, Intazar Hussain Panjutha, said the former prime minister “will talk to any political party or institution on the matter of holding elections”.

The National Assembly was dissolved on August 9 which makes it mandatory for the Election Commission of Pakistan to hold polls within 90 days after the dissolution. However, the ECP is set to delay the election in order to carry out delimitation in the light of the new census, which is also a constitutional requirement.

Khan has been kept in jail since August 5 after his conviction in the Toshakhana corruption case. His sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court on August 29, but he continues to remain in prison in the cipher case in which he is accused of leaking sensitive national security matters.