By Fazal Sher
Copyright brecorder
RAWALPINDI: The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan on Monday termed the recently signed strategic mutual defence agreement between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia as highly significant, stressing the need for Pakistan to enhance and restore its global engagement.
Khan’s sister Aleema Khan was talking to reporters after hearing of the Toshakhana-II case outside Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi. Aleema Khan said: “Imran Khan stated that protecting the Holy Mosques is an honour for us.”
“For the past three years, we tried to negotiate with the establishment, but instead of talks, they intensified the crackdown on our party”, she said, adding that there is no benefit of negotiation.
She said that Khan asked PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Ghandpur, and Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif not to engage in any talks with the establishment. “If anyone wants to talk, they can come to jail”, she said.
She said that PTI founding chairman urged the nation to take part in the upcoming rally to be held in Peshawar on September 27. He directed the party leadership to ensure its success and assigned Ali Amin Gandapur and Junaid Akbar as rally coordinators.
Turning to cricket, Khan blamed Mohsin Naqvi for destabilizing the cricket team. He reminded that the very team in question had handed India a humiliating 10-wicket defeat in October 2021.
Earlier, the special court hearing Toshakhana II case against former Prime Minister and PTI founding chairman Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi completed the process of recording the statements of last two prosecution witnesses.
Special Judge Central Shahrukh Arjumand, while hearing the case against Khan, his wife at a makeshift court at Adiala Jail, recorded statements of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) officer Mohsin Haroon and Assistant Director Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) Shahid Pervez. Khan and Bushra Bibi were produced before the court by jail authorities.
A total of 20 witnesses have been testified in the case, of which 18 have already been cross-examined. No further witnesses will be presented by the prosecution. Defence counsel will conduct a cross-examination of both the witnesses during the next hearing to be held on September 24.
PTI counsels Arshad Tabrez, Zahoor Chaudhry, and Usman Gul, as well as Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) prosecution team comprising Zulfiqar Abbas Naqvi and Umair Majid, appeared before the court.
Khan’s sister Aleema Khan, Dr Uzma Khan, and Noreen Khanam Niazi also attended the hearing.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025
