Aleema Khan and Noreen Khan have quoted their brother and jailed former prime minister (PM) Imran Khan as offering to sort things out between Pakistan and Afghanistan if he is released on parole.
Addressing journalists as cross-border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan intensified ahead of Wednesday evening’s ceasefire, Khan’s sisters conveyed their brother’s offer, which was also shared by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Barrister Gohar Ali Khan later in the day.
They also said that the PTI founder was hurt by the recent border clashes between forces, and stressed a peaceful solution.
Khan, imprisoned since August 2023, is serving a sentence at Adiala Jail in a £190 million corruption case and also faces pending trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act related to the May 9 protests. His offer comes as Pakistani forces thwart multiple attacks from Afghan forces and their affiliated militant groups in recent days.
Pakistani forces began their retaliatory strikes inside Afghanistan last week after Afghanistan resorted to unprovoked firing along the border.
The unlawful and aggressive actions by Afghan forces resulted in the martyrdom of multiple Pakistani soldiers, while Pakistani Armed Forces — in their retaliatory actions — have eliminated over 200 militants.
Pakistan’s intense and befitting response ended temporarily after the Afghan Taliban regime requested a ceasefire, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Mofa) said. The Foreign Office said that Pakistan agreed to a temporary 48-hour ceasefire, which took effect from 6 pm on Wednesday.
As Khan’s sisters also said that the jailed PTI founder was saddened by the way Afghan nationals were expelled from Pakistan, it merits a mention that the PTI and its founder have repeatedly been criticised by their rival political parties over their insistence on negotiations with banned outfits involved in terror activities for decades.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) have also accused Khan of allowing the settlement of TTP militants during his tenure as the premier – an allegation denied by the PTI.
The former ousted PM has also repeatedly urged talks with the Taliban regime despite it making no difference over the years.