‘Imran Khan Is Being Treated Like Egypt’s Morsi,’ Says Mahmood Achakzai as He Announces United Opposition
ISLAMABAD: Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP) chief and head of the Tehreek Tahafuz Aain Pakistan, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, has alleged that PTI founder Imran Khan is being treated in jail like former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi and subjected to mental torture through solitary confinement.
Addressing an important press conference alongside other political leaders, Achakzai announced that efforts to form a United Opposition would begin from the following day in a bid to strengthen democracy and ensure the supremacy of the Constitution.
Criticizing the current political situation and the 2024 general elections, Achakzai said the manner in which the country was being governed and the alleged denial of the public mandate were deeply regrettable.
He said the country’s largest and most popular political party had been deprived of its election symbol and its leader had been imprisoned. According to Achakzai, the only way to run the country and build a strong federation was to recognize Parliament as the source of political authority, with the winners forming the government and those who lose elections sitting on the opposition benches.
Referring to Pakistan’s political history, Achakzai said the country had failed badly over the past 75 years to develop into a united nation. He questioned what the 10 years of Ayub Khan, 11 years of General Zia-ul-Haq and 10 years of Pervez Musharraf’s martial law had delivered for the country.
He said the situation had now deteriorated to the point where violence was occurring across the country and dozens of people were reportedly being killed by gunfire every day.
Speaking about Imran Khan’s medical examination, Achakzai said the Supreme Court had provided a ray of hope by ordering the PTI founder’s medical examination. He said PTI had cooperated with the process and announced that no party workers would gather outside the hospital or raise slogans.
However, he alleged that certain “black sheep” had sabotaged the entire process under the cover of darkness. He claimed that such elements existed in various institutions and did not want Pakistan to move toward democracy.
Achakzai further alleged that Imran Khan, whom he described as Pakistan’s most popular political leader, was being kept in solitary confinement and subjected to mental distress in a manner similar to former Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi.
He said there was no personal hostility toward the military, Nawaz Sharif or Shehbaz Sharif. “Our opposition is only to those forces that do not accept the supremacy of the Constitution, an independent judiciary and the rights of poor people,” he said.
Concluding his press conference, Achakzai announced that democratic political forces would be brought together from the following day to form a United Opposition. He said the objective was to strengthen democracy, uphold the Constitution and help Pakistan move toward political stability and prosperity.
