LAHORE / BAHAWALPUR: PML-N leader Mian Javed Latif has criticised the government, led by his own party, for engaging the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in a dialogue and questioned why former prime minister Imran Khan should be released.

“The government and institutional spokespersons must explain to the nation why we are being lectured and pressured under the guise of negotiations. Why should Imran Khan be released? The public deserves to know whose interests he served during his over three years in power and the extent of damage he inflicted on Pakistan,” Latif, who is considered a member of ‘Nawaz camp’ within the party, said during a press conference here on Friday.

He said the PTI’s negotiation committee was solely focused on securing Imran Khan’s release.

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“If any concessions are made under pressure, the nation will resist. Retired Gen Faiz Hameed attempted to orchestrate a mutiny within the army, but his efforts were thwarted. Faiz Hameed’s arrest is not related to corruption in a housing society. The public deserves[to know] the truth — he was involved in plotting, alongside those who were masterminding an internal rebellion in the institution. In any other country, such a failed rebellion would have resulted in immediate executions,” Latif remarked.

He further said: “We have grievances against institutions, but even when Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was executed, the PPP never called for civil disobedience. Mian Nawaz Sharif was labeled a hijacker, disqualified for life, and was even poisoned in prison, yet he never advocated for civil disobedience. This call for civil disobedience is an even graver crime than the events of May 9 or Nov 26.”

In a veiled reference to the United States, Latif warned: “The reality is that external forces want to derail CPEC (China Pakistan Economic Corridor) and gain access to our nuclear programme. If living on foreign aid is our only option, we will rather embrace an honorable death. Should anyone attempt to dictate terms or treat us like subordinates, we will respond as a united and sovereign nation.”

Latif also expressed frustration on X in a comment directed at Richard Grenell, a designated envoy for special missions in the Trump team, questioning why the incoming Trump administration appears to support Imran Khan despite his “controversial tenure”.

“Dear @RichardGrenell, Have you ever felt the crushing weight of being falsely accused, torn from your loved ones, and imprisoned for months? I have. Under Imran Khan’s fascist regime, I was unjustly incarcerated — an innocent man, while my family endured immense suffering. My ailing mother’s health deteriorated because of it. The pain was unbearable, but my innocence was ignored by a government that used power to silence its opponents. And through all this suffering, there was not a single word from you — no tweet, no message of support,” Latif lamented.

Published in Dawn, December 28th, 2024