ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders have questioned why they are being denied a meeting with Imran Khan, despite ongoing discussions about negotiations.

They demanded accountability for the events of November 26, vowing to pursue justice for the bloodshed, Express News reported. This statement was made during a press conference on Tuesday by PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Omar Ayub, Salman Akram Raja, and Shibli Faraz, who were joined by other party leaders. Barrister Gohar addressed claims that the delays in the Al-Qadir Trust case were due to a potential deal. He described the case as frivolous, asserting that the witnesses had clarified that the PTI founder had neither taken money nor caused harm to the government. He stated that PTI had opened the door for dialogue after a long period, yet over 200 cases had been filed against the party’s leadership. He pointed out that the party’s electoral symbol, the bat, was unjustly taken away, and their victories were turned into defeats.

The party chairman also referred to the violence faced by PTI workers, many of whom were still missing. He added that PTI had started negotiations based on two demands, and two meetings had already taken place. He mainted that a third meeting would only occur once the PTI founder Imran Khan was allowed to meet with them. He clarified that the negotiations were not about striking a deal but were for the people, urging that no delay should occur in the draft of the negotiations. Omar Ayub, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, reiterated their demand for a meeting with the PTI founder, stressing that there had been no response from the government. He expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to facilitate a meeting without conditions. Ayub highlighted that on December 5, the PTI founder had established a negotiating committee and presented an agenda, stressing that the party would not tolerate any interference from institutions in the process. He also called for a judicial commission to investigate the events of May 9 and November 26, noting that the PTI founder had forgiven those who had inflicted suffering upon him.

The opposition leader further criticised the current economic situation, stating that $14 billion had left the country in two years, and the large-scale manufacturing sector had collapsed. He asserted that without a functional manufacturing sector, the country’s economy could not move forward. Moreover, PTI General Secretary Salman Akram Raja conveyed that Imran Khan was committed to being the last person to seek release from jail and that he desired the freedom of all prisoners. He stated that the party could not simply overlook the bloodshed and would pursue justice. He reiterated that PTI was part of the negotiation process to lead the state toward welfare, but he noted a lack of similar intentions from the other side. Raja maintaind that PTI would not back down on their demands regarding the November 26 commission and the February 8 election robbery. He warned that if such incidents continued, it would lead to the country’s downfall, stressing the importance of advancing democracy. Furthermore, PTI Senator Shibli Faraz commented on the country’s inability to progress without the supremacy of the constitution and law. He referenced the detailed decision in the Toshakhana case, which he believed exposed the baseless nature of these charges. Faraz also expressed concern over the delay in the Al-Qadir Trust case decision, questioning why it had not been delivered yet. He pointed out that a conviction in the case would punish anyone involved in charitable work, while the PTI founder and his wife, Bushra Bibi, had not gained any personal benefit from the Al-Qadir Trust.