Shafaqna Pakistan: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Khan has reportedly intensified backchannel efforts to delay key court proceedings involving party founder Imran Khan and his sister Aleema Khan, while differences have surfaced within the party over the strategy, according to The News.
Sources said Barrister Gohar approached National Assembly Opposition Leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Senate Opposition Leader Allama Raja Nasir Abbas, requesting them to use their respective contacts to secure what the party terms “breathing space” in the ongoing legal cases.
According to the sources, Achakzai was asked to establish contact with Rana Sanaullah, while Senator Raja Nasir Abbas is already in touch with a federal minister believed to have close links with the establishment. The reported objective is to persuade the government not to seek an early conclusion of two high-profile cases: Imran Khan’s appeal in the Al-Qadir Trust case before the Islamabad High Court and Aleema Khan’s trial in the Anti-Terrorism Court in Rawalpindi.
PTI’s immediate concern is the case against Aleema Khan relating to the November 26 violence which, according to the sources, is at the conclusion stage. The party fears that an early conviction could result in her imprisonment, further compounding the legal and political challenges already confronting the party.
Imran Khan remains incarcerated, while his wife Bushra Bibi and his nephew are also behind the bars. PTI leaders believe that Aleema Khan’s conviction at this stage would not only deepen frustration among party workers but would also create additional political and organisational difficulties for the party, sources said.
At the same time, PTI is also said to be seeking a delay in the hearing of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi’s appeal before the Islamabad High Court against their conviction in the Al-Qadir Trust case, also known as the £190 million case.
According to the sources, the party believes that delaying the appeal would be strategically preferable to risking an adverse judgment from the high court or ATC. PTI leaders fear that if the Islamabad High Court upholds the conviction, the party’s legal options would narrow considerably before the matter reaches the Constitutional Court.
The Islamabad High Court has already declined to suspend the conviction or grant bail to Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi in the case. While PTI expects that the matter will eventually reach the Constitutional Court, party strategists reportedly believe that avoiding an immediate appellate decision would provide greater political and legal flexibility.
However, the reported strategy has not received unanimous support within the party.
Sources said a section of the PTI leadership believes that seeking delays through political contacts sends the wrong message and is inconsistent with the party’s public narrative of fighting its legal battles in courts.
Aleema Khan is also understood to be among those who are uncomfortable with the reported approach. Maybe this was because of the efforts made that her ATC trial was put off till August 12 than be concluded next week. But, according to the sources, she has conveyed that she is prepared to face the consequences of the legal process, including imprisonment if convicted, rather than seeking any arrangement aimed at postponing judicial proceedings.
When approached, Barrister Gohar declined to comment on this approach or on sub judice cases.
The differing views have exposed a broader debate within the PTI over whether the party should continue pursuing political channels to secure legal relief or allow the judicial process to take its course despite the potential political costs.
Source: The News
