Sameera Casmod | sameerac@radioislam.co.za
15 February 2024 | 00:10 SAST
2 minute read

Image: The News International

The party of the former prime minister Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) won 97 seats in the National Assembly- 24 more than the opposition, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)- in the recent elections, throwing the country into political turmoil.

The PTI’s Central Information Secretary, Raoof Hassan, spoke to Radio Islam International about his meeting with Khan in jail, as well as the party’s plans for the immediate future. He spoke about the PTI’s refusal to form coalitions with certain parties due to election rigging.

“Let me share with you a principled position that we have taken that under no circumstances we shall be looking at forming a coalition with People’s Party, or PMLN, or the MQM. That’s out. That’s out of the equation…” Mr Hassan said.

He explained that the party aims to reclaim lost seats through legal avenues, despite the military opposition in the country.

“About seventy of our seats were stolen in the black of the night fraudulently, we are fighting a legal battle to reclaim those seats. We understand that we are confronting an antagonistic establishment and an antagonistic institutional framework in our country…” Mr Hassan said.

Mr Hassan reported on his meeting with Khan at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, saying that the former prime minister has expressed enthusiasm for the outcome of the election.

“He was very grateful to the people of Pakistan, who have always trusted him and reposed their confidence in him. But never so magnanimously as they have done now… Simultaneously, he felt that it puts a huge responsibility on his shoulders as the leader of Pakistan, Tehreek-e-Insaf,” Mr Hassan said.

PTI’s victory signifies a massive win for a nation that has been ruled over by the military for many years. Many civilian leaders have been driven from the land, Mr Hassan said, only to return once they’ve accepted a deal. He reports that Imran Khan is refusing to accept a deal.

Pakistan’s people have suffered a great deal “at the wrong side of dispensation” in the last thirty years, Mr Hassan noted. “We have to deliver on their dreams, their vision of Pakistan, and we have also to contribute to improving their lot in this country.

Hassan discussed PTI’s internal transformation, highlighting a shift towards ideological members who prioritise the party’s vision over personal gain. He expressed confidence in the loyalty of PTI members, emphasising their commitment to the party’s ideals and unity.

Listen to the full interview on Sabaahul Muslim with Moulana Sulaimaan Ravat.