Imran Khan fully trusts judges including chief justice: Gohar Khan

• Only Gohar to communicate Imran Khan’s messages, says spox.
• PTI rejects ‘undemocratic’ Senate resolution seeking delay in polls.
• PTI also demands quick dispensation of justice by the judiciary.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Barrister Gohar Khan on Saturday said party founder and former premier Imran Khan has complete faith and trust in the judiciary and judges including Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, The News reported.

Barrister Gohar said this while talking to the media in Islamabad. Senior PTI leaders Shoaib Shaheen, Sher Afzal Marwat, Intizar Hussain Panjutha and PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan were also present on this occasion.

On January 5, Marwat had told the media that Imran had no confidence in Chief Justice Isa.

However, Gohar claimed that there were no differences within the party leadership and a misperception was created on social media regarding Imran Khan’s stance on the judiciary. 

Gohar said that this is why he had a special meeting with Imran to clear the dust once and for all, adding that “Imran Khan has complete confidence in judges, including Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa.” Barrister Gohar also said that he, as "PTI chairman", would be the one delivering any statement by Imran Khan, which would be formally released by the PTI Central Media Department.

Talking about the Senate resolution seeking a delay in polls, the PTI leader stated that the party strongly rejected the unconstitutional and undemocratic resolution which, he said, had no legal binding and value because it was based on senators’ personal opinions.

He called upon the Supreme Court, especially Chief Justice Isa, to ensure enforcement of the SC order and remove all obstacles in the way of free, fair, and transparent general elections on February 8, 2024, and also expressed his optimism that elections would be held on February 8 and there was no question to further postpone them. 

The PTI also demanded quick dispensation of justice by the judiciary and removal of its concerns relating to the pending cases especially the matter of its election symbol, with Gohar Khan highlighting that over 100 million voters would be disenfranchised if the PTI were deprived of its election symbol of the ‘bat’.

The PTI leader urged the apex court to address his party’s reservations regarding a level playing field and also revealed that the PTI would formally announce the names of potential candidates for the upcoming general elections in the next two days. In a reply to a question, Gohar said the party hoped that the Supreme Court would not move contempt of court proceedings against Umair Niazi. He also said the PTI had issued a showcause notice to its senator.

An interesting situation was created during the press conference when asked about the statement of no-confidence in the chief justice. Barrister Gohar said, “Sher Afzal Marwat had given a statement but I today clearly state that Imran Khan had never made such a statement in which he expressed his no-confidence in the chief justice of Pakistan. There is no confusion about this.”

When journalists continued to ask questions about Marwat’s statement, the PTI’s information secretary told journalists there would be no more questions on the matter and that if they did not stop, he would call off the press conference. 

However, Gohar gave the floor to Sher Afzal Marwat at his insistence. Marwat said that there was no division in the PTI: “Chairman PTI is my chairman and leader. Gohar Khan’s statement after my statement should be considered as a policy statement.”

The PTI also hit out at the PML-N for awarding tickets to the Raja Riaz-led dissident group as a reward for helping topple Imran’s government under the “regime change conspiracy”.

The PTI spokesperson criticised the PML-N leadership and said the PMLN’s grant of tickets to “conscience sellers” was an open admission of guilt of the characters involved in the “conspiracy” to remove the Imran Khan-led government, calling such actions a step towards the death of democracy. The spokesperson said that the PML-N’s popularity could be judged by the fact that it needed the crutches of PTI deserters and dissidents instead of fielding the party’s loyalists in the elections.

Meanwhile, on Saturday night PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan posted on X (former Twitter) that: Barrister Gohar would in [the] future be communicating Imran Khan’s messages for the party and people of Pakistan and that nobody else is authorised to speak on Imran’s behalf.

Raoof Hasan’s post said that “... Barrister Gohar met [Imran Khan] in jail today who apprised him of these facts which were then made public in today’s press conference. In [the] future, Chairman-for-life Imran Khan’s messages for the party and people of Pakistan will be solely communicated through Barrister Gohar. Nobody else is authorised to speak on behalf of Chairman-for-life Imran Khan and the party shall not own any such statement if and when made. Additionally, strict disciplinary action will be initiated against those who will act in breach of this directive.”