ISLAMABAD: As former prime minister Imran Khan ruled out any sort of ‘give and take’ formula to bring an end to his ordeal, former PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry on Thursday met the party founder in an apparent bid to convince him to take the initiative to create “political space” for the embattled political party.
Earlier this week, Aleema Khan, sister of the former prime minister, proposed a ‘give-and-take formula’ for the release of her brother, alleging that “unseen forces” were pressuring judges and influencing legal proceedings against Mr Khan.
“I want to tell the unseen forces that I am ready to negotiate,” she said.
On Thursday, however, PTI leader Ali Zafar told media persons after the hearing of a May 9 case in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail that the incarcerated PTI chief said that he would never go for the “give and take formula”.
Fawad Chaudhry meets ex-PM, advises him to ‘simultaneously’ talk to govt as well as establishment
“Khan sahab said that he was willing to talk, but only in the best interest of the country and would not demand any gain or relaxation for himself,” he said.
According to Barrister Zafar, the former premier said if he wanted a favour for himself, he would have gotten it a long time ago.
The PTI lawyer said that Imran Khan was willing to talk to the establishment but only for the country.
Political space
Fawad Chaudhry, who also met Mr Khan on Thursday, told Dawn that during the conversation with the former prime minister, he realised that the ex-PM was not getting “proper and correct” information.
“It seems that everyone, who manages to meet Khan sahab, tries to get someone appointed or spends time making efforts to get someone removed from the party. I told Khan sahab that there should be some strategy to deal with the situation,” he said.
Mr Chaudhry said that he told Imran Khan that currently the PTI was fighting with the establishment, the government and even with the opposition.
“I also informed (him) that the (PTI) leadership, which is out of jail, is a newcomer, as a majority of them joined the party a few years ago and they are not even aware of the situation,” he said.
The former information minister said he told the ex-premier that it would be undemocratic to stress that the PTI would only talk to the establishment, not with the political parties.
“I suggested that, first of all, we should talk to the opposition to form a joint political alliance and then start talks with the government. I said that we need to talk with the government and the establishment simultaneously because only that is how we can create political space for the PTI,” he said.
Published in Dawn, May 30th, 2025
