Imran urges PTI to stand firm on ideology

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has urged party leaders to remain committed to the party’s ideology and principles, stressing that they should not compromise on their stance, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said on Thursday.

Raja said Imran had conveyed the message during his recent meeting with lawyers at Adiala Jail.

Following an Islamabad High Court order directing prison authorities to facilitate legal consultations, Barrister Salman Safdar and Advocate Latif Khosa met Imran and his wife, Bushra Bibi, at the prison on Wednesday. The meeting lasted around three hours and focused primarily on their legal and health matters.

Raja said he had held several detailed conversations with Safdar after the meeting to understand Imran’s instructions.

“Imran Khan’s fundamental message was to stick firmly to the ideology,” Raja said, adding that the PTI founder had also directed him to stand by the party’s principles and avoid compromising on its position.

He said Imran had reiterated his confidence in National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas. According to Raja, the PTI founder believed both leaders would remain firm on their principles and had selected them for their positions after careful consideration.

Raja maintained that the party would follow Imran’s instructions and move forward according to his political vision.

He also said Imran had discussed the creation of new provinces during his meetings with Safdar, including their November 2 interaction. The PTI founder, he added, remained committed to democracy, public welfare and the principle of people’s rule.

According to Raja, Imran had consistently supported the establishment of new administrative units. However, he had also stressed that decisions on the issue must take into account the public’s wishes and the circumstances surrounding the proposed changes.

The PTI secretary general further disclosed that Imran had expressed concerns about democratic principles and the rights of smaller provinces in connection with the proposed 28th Constitutional Amendment. Raja said he would first present the directions to the party leadership before taking a position on the matter.

Meanwhile, Raja expressed concern about Imran’s health, saying his blood pressure had remained unstable. He claimed the PTI founder had informed lawyers during Wednesday’s meeting that his blood pressure had reached 193 on Saturday.

Raja said Imran himself considered concerns about his health unnecessary, but the party remained worried about his medical condition.

Addressing reports of differences within the PTI, Raja acknowledged that a small faction was unhappy with him. However, he rejected suggestions that Imran had expressed dissatisfaction with his leadership.

He said the PTI founder had instructed him to create political space while remaining committed to party principles and working towards organisational restructuring.

Raja also defended the decision to discuss matters from the jail meeting publicly, saying the three-hour interaction had been monitored and recorded through microphones. He noted that comments made by Khosa after the meeting had prompted Safdar to clarify certain details.