ISLAMABAD: The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan on Saturday said that banning a political party is the “murder of democracy”.

When Khan was asked following the hearing of the Al-Qadir Trust case at Adiala jail that the government is planning to impose a ban on PTI, he said that banning a political party is the “murder of democracy”.

However, he said that there was already a ban on his party as his party was not allowed to contest elections. During elections his party chairman, vice chairman and the president were in jail even then they were saying a ban would be imposed on PTI, he said.

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To a question about cabinet members’ statements about possible constitutional breakdown, he said that martial law has already been imposed in the country. Government is in the control of someone, he said.

When he was asked about negotiation with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), he said that there is no difference between the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and both are products of Form 47s. No talk will be held with PPP regarding any issue including bringing a vote of no confidence. “The only solution to bring the country out of the ongoing crises is the holding of fair and transparent elections and better economic reforms”, he said.

He reiterated that he is ready to remain in jail for the rest of his life but would not backtrack from his stance. Despite the Supreme Court’s verdict if the election commission did not give reserved seats to PTI then Article 6 should be imposed on the Chief Election Commissioner, he said, adding if anything happens to my wife then I will not leave alive those who I have already named.

“I strongly condemn the attack on the peace march in Bannu and I demand a judicial inquiry be conducted into the Bannu incident”, he said, adding that the war against terrorism cannot be won without the support of the masses.

About Chief Minister Punjab Maryam Nawaz’s criticism against judges, he said that Maryam Nawaz says that the judges are not right, [but] the judges were right when their [Maryam Nawaz’s etc] cases were ended.

Earlier, Accountability Court judge Muhammad Ali Warraich, while hearing the case, summoned two more witnesses for recording their statement.

PTI lawyers Usman Riaz Gull and Chaudhry Zaheer Abbas as well as National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Deputy Prosecutor General Sardar Muzaffar Abbasi and Prosecutor Amjad appeared before the court.

Khan’s lawyers completed the cross-examination of former minister Zubaida Jalal, former minister Pervaiz Khattak and former principal secretary to Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The court adjourned the hearing of the case till July 22.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2024