Imran Khan backs call to make Pakistan 'hard state'

• Imran says "hard state" to guarantee rule of law.
• Party founder stresses importance of ensuring equal justice.
• PTI lawmakers stage protest inside Parliament House.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that incarcerated party founder Imran Khan backed calls for making Pakistan a "hard state", stressing the importance of ensuring equal justice for all citizens. 

Speaking to Geo News, Gohar quoted Imran as saying that a "hard state" would guarantee the rule of law and uniform implementation of justice.

"Imran said Pakistan should not remain a soft state, where the law is not consistently upheld," he added.

The 71-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, who has been behind bars since August 2023 after he was booked in multiple cases from corruption to terrorism, apparently backed the statement made by Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir.

Last month, the army chief blamed the "soft state" image for the loss of innocent lives amid rising terror activities, asking for how long they [armed forces] will fill the "gaps of governance" with martyrs' blood.

"We need better governance... we should make Pakistan a hard state," he said while addressing a high-level in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security, which was skipped by major opposition parties, including the former ruling party.

The in-camera session came against the backdrop of rising terrorism in Pakistan, including a major terrorist attack on a passenger train in the Mushqaf area of the Bolan district in Balochistan.

Dozens of militants, affiliated with the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA), blew up a railway track and assaulted the Jaffar Express on Tuesday, carrying more than 440 passengers — who were taken hostage.

The security forces, after a complex clearance operation, neutralised 33 attackers and rescued the hostage passengers.

Addressing the crucial session, COAS Munir asserted that no agenda, movement, or individual is greater than national security. "If this country exists, so do we; therefore, nothing is more important to us than its security," he added.

"All elements of national power must operate in unison to achieve lasting stability," he emphasised, declaring that it is a fight for the nation's survival and the future of generations to come.

Protest in parliament house

Meanwhile, PTI members have staged a protest inside the Parliament House.

The protest, led by Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Omar Ayub Khan, saw PTI lawmakers chanting slogans calling for Khan's freedom.

Speaking to journalists, Ayub condemned the ongoing treatment of PTI leaders and workers, stating, "Where the Constitution and law are disregarded, there is no place for investment."

Ayub also criticised government lawmakers who suggested that if the party founder sought forgiveness, the issue could be resolved.

"Yesterday, we were subjected to violence," he added, referring to the detention of Imran's sisters and other party leaders.

He also labeled prominent figures from PTI, including Bushra Bibi, Yasmin Rashid, Mahmood Rashid, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, and Salar Kakaar, as "political prisoners".

"We are all willing to sacrifice everything, even our lives, but we will remain loyal to Imran," he added.