ISLAMABAD, Nov 24: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan has demanded immediate release of Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad and other political detainees.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Mr Khan said the Afghan crisis had evoked strong reactions because of the coalition forces’ gross human rights violations. The savage US bombing of innocent civilians could not be ignored under any circumstances, he added.

He said political parties had the right to disagree with the government’s policies and peacefully air their dissent.

The PTI chief said the time had come for the government to initiate a dialogue with all segments of the society and formulate a policy that could effectively deal with the present crisis.

He expressed concern on the treatment being meted out to Pakistani captives by the Northern Alliance. He reminded the alliance leaders that Pakistanis had provided refuge to Afghans regardless of their ethnic background.

Mr Khan warned that the alliance would face a severe backlash if it failed to respect the rights of its Pakistani prisoners.