I Will Secure Freedom for the People or Be Ready for Martyrdom: Imran Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has said that he will not step back even an inch from his stance and is determined to secure freedom for the people, even if it costs him his life.

Addressing a press conference at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja conveyed Imran Khan’s message, stating that according to party lawyers, the PTI founder is being kept in solitary confinement. He said a separate notification has been issued for upcoming trials under which even family members will not be allowed access to the courtroom, while judges will hear cases via video link from remote locations.

Salman Akram Raja said court orders clearly state that Imran Khan is entitled to a fair and open trial, yet his scheduled meetings on Tuesdays and Thursdays have been suspended. He rejected government claims that Imran Khan is being allowed meetings, calling them completely false.

He added that Imran Khan has said the public will now have to stand up for their rights, as all avenues of justice have been closed. “His cases are not being heard in courts, and the doors of justice have effectively been shut,” he said.

According to Salman Akram Raja, Imran Khan has urged the people to take to the streets and raise their voices, stating that there is no option left except protest. He said the PTI founder’s message is that the public must come out for their rights and stand with all political prisoners, especially women.

He further said that the PTI founder recently had a brief meeting with his lawyer Salman Safdar. However, when the verdict was announced, neither Imran Khan nor his lawyers were present in court. Imran Khan has reiterated that he will not retreat even an inch from his position.

Salman Akram Raja said Imran Khan is deeply distressed over the imprisonment of his wife, Bushra Bibi, and believes she has been jailed solely because she is his spouse.

Concluding the message, he said Imran Khan has called on the party to begin preparations for a street movement, stressing that there are no other options left. He quoted the PTI founder as saying, “I will secure freedom for the people or be ready for martyrdom.”