Pakistan's PTI party calls for immediate release of its founder Imran Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) called for the immediate release of its jailed founder Imran Khan, vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other leaders.

The PTI party passed a resolution on its 29th foundation day on Friday, condemning the “illegal imprisonment” of all leaders, including the 72-year-old former prime minister and Qureshi, Dawn News reported.

The party claimed it had won the 2024 elections, but its mandate was “stolen through rigging”.

“We also demand the restoration of our legitimate mandate,” the PTI resolution said.

The party called for the restoration of free media and human rights as well as the repeal of the 26th Amendment.

In a statement, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Omar Ayub said Khan was “illegally imprisoned” while his family was barred from meeting him.

Speaking at an event to mark the foundation day, former NA speaker Asad Qaiser expressed grave concerns over the state of the judiciary, saying people’s trust in the judicial system eroded in the past few years.

He said the judicial system was ‘paralysed’, calling it one of Pakistan’s most pressing challenges.

Qaiser, who is also the founding member of the PTI, warned that without judicial independence, the country could not function effectively.

He urged the judiciary to make indepe­nd­ent decisions, free from external influence or dictation.

“The entire nation stands with you,” he said, adding that the people of Pakistan were looking towards the judiciary for decisive and impartial action.

The PTI leader also dismissed any notion of division among Pakistanis as a “misconception”, according to Dawn.

The PTI party was founded by Khan on April 25, 1996, in Lahore.