Islamabad, January 8, 2025: Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and former Prime Minister, has agreed to refrain from making public statements against state institutions, according to sources. These sources revealed that PTI’s leadership has urged the party founder to avoid criticizing institutions, emphasizing that the focus of the party’s criticism will now solely be directed at politicians.
The senior leadership of PTI conveyed the message to Imran Khan, advising him against making remarks about state institutions. Party leaders have also been directed to avoid making such statements. The sources further noted that PTI believes that criticism of institutions only exacerbates the challenges faced, and the party aims to resolve ongoing issues constructively.
Imran Khan is said to have accepted this position, agreeing not to make harsh statements against the establishment moving forward. However, just days earlier, on January 6, Imran Khan’s official social media account posted a strong critique of the government and institutions. In the post, he accused the government of delaying the decision regarding the Al-Qadir Trust case (involving £190 million) to exert pressure on him, a tactic he claimed had been used in previous cases. He demanded an immediate announcement, warning that the government would face embarrassment, as it had in the ‘Ehtesab’ and ‘Cipher’ cases.
Imran Khan also reflected on Pakistan’s history, noting that he had witnessed all the martial laws imposed in the country, including those by Ayub Khan, Yahya Khan, Zia-ul-Haq, and Pervez Musharraf. He described the martial laws of Yahya Khan and Zia-ul-Haq as the most damaging to democracy in Pakistan, with Musharraf’s rule being comparatively more liberal.
He further commented on the current state of democracy in Pakistan, comparing it to Yahya Khan’s era and criticizing Shehbaz Sharif as a puppet prime minister. Khan also compared the rigging of elections during the February 2024 polls to the worst practices in Pakistan’s history, calling the rigging and government a stain on the country.
