LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s five senior leaders incarcerated in Kot Lakhpat Jail have warned that the country’s most popular political party is at a historic crossroads and urged the incumbent leadership to show greater tolerance, unity and consensus to steer it through the crisis.

In a joint open letter addressed to party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, secretary-general Salman Akram Raja, MNAs, MPAs, and members of parliamentary party, political committee and core committee, the party leaders stressed that remaining strong and organised was not only essential for the party’s own existence but indispensable for keeping alive the hopes of Pakistan’s young generation.

In the letter shared by their counsel Rana Mudassar Umar on Saturday, PTI’s vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed and Ejaz Chaudhry said, “The situation has become grave for the PTI, multiplying difficulties and trials for the remaining leadership.”

Referring to founding chairman Imran Khan’s three years of imprisonment and almost a year of solitary confinement, the Kot Lakhpat inmates called for greater forbearance, patience and collective wisdom.

Want Qureshi’s release to be part of party’s policy agenda

Expressing complete solidarity with the current leadership, the jailed leaders stressed, “Do not react merely on the basis of rumours and hearsay,” and urged them to sit together, understand issues through consultation and detailed deliberation, and take decisions with maximum consensus.

They stressed that discussions held in different meetings should be treated as a trust (amanat) and leaders should refrain from airing personal opinions in the media.

“Wait for the party policy to come and then express views in accordance with it,” they advised and added, “This is not the time to resign or demand resignations.”

Four of the senior leaders in jail also made a forceful demand to prioritise the release of vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi in the party’s top policy agenda.

“Qureshi has been in jail for over three years. He has been acquitted in six cases and has secured bail in the rest, while bail pleas in two other identical cases have been pending for a long time due to non-decision,” they stated.

“Dozens of hearings have been fixed, but the record is not even produced,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, October 25th, 2026