Former federal minister Shaheryar Afridi has said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan will only negotiate with Chief of Army Staff General Syed Asim Munir and the head of the country's powerful spy organisation, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
In an interview with a private television channel, Afridi said the PTI founder has desired talks since the first day, but the other side has failed to respond.
Afridi said that Imran wants to speak to the army chief for the better future of Pakistan.
He also dispelled the notion that Imran Khan wants to talk with the powerful military, which has directly ruled Pakistan for much of its history, to seek an 'NRO'.
NRO stands for the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a controversial ordinance issued by the former dictator General Pervez Musharraf on October 5, 2007. It granted amnesty to politicians, political workers, and bureaucrats who were accused of various offences, including corruption, money laundering, murder, and other crimes committed between January 1, 1986, and October 12, 1999 (the period between two states of martial law in Pakistan). Some believed it was a measure to allow former prime minister Benazir Bhutto to return to Pakistan without legal consequences due to pending, politically motivated corruption cases, which Musharraf argued that it was necessary to remove politically motivated cases that had been pending in courts for a decade, hindering the progress of various political parties. However, Imran Khan and his party used the NRO as a stick to beat political opponents with, alleging that it was confirmation of their guilt.
Afridi, who is implicated in the May 9 attacks for leading a contingent of PTI protesters to riot and vandalise the main gate of the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, suggested that talks between Imran and the army chief were imminent.
"The country needs Imran Khan," he claimed, adding that around 70% of voters had cast ballots in favour of Imran Khan and the PTI, and extreme efforts to rig the elections failed to stem PTI's tide.
Asked whether the PTI will negotiate with the government, he said that those in power currently are not qualified to have talks with.
"These are rejected people," he stated, adding, "What do we negotiate with them on? They are themselves dependents. They are controlled with a remote control. They made it to Parliament based on [manipulated] Form-47s. The people have rejected them."
He further said that if they had moral courage, they would admit they did not receive the popular vote, quit the government and go home.
Once these conditions are fulfilled, Afridi said the PTI will consider taking everyone along or not.
"This country, its military, and its institutions all represent me," he said, adding that his leader had desired to engage with them from the first day.
In response to a question about engaging with the military leadership instead of the political leadership in the country, he said that the way Nawaz Sharif and the rest of the political leadership in the country had cases in which they had been convicted, systemically eradicated with facilitation from the establishment. He added that these people are a danger to Pakistan because they prioritise their interests above the country's interests.
Afridi said the only reason they want talks is because the public had voted for them and gave them a mandate and that they will put forward issues of the public before them. He said they would demand a judicial inquiry into the May 9 incidents and put the truth before the public.
"My leader does not want an NRO," he asserted, adding that Imran will continue to fight cases against him in the courts.
All we want is that for the country's security and sovreignty, the PTI founder and Pakistan are inseprable.
When the show host asked about the contradiction that the PTI accuses the establishment of ousting their government but now wants to negotiate with the same establishment, Afridi said that they only desire justice from God and within the ambit of the law.
We want negotiations for Pakistan's better future. Now, this puppet government says we should talk to them. What do we talk to them about? They oppress our imprisoned workers and take someone else's name, he said.
The former federal minister said that houses of their MNAs and MPAs are being raided illegally. He said that their party members are being harassed, trumped up cases are lodged, members are trapped. How can they be hypocritical and ask for talks, Afridi said.
He asked why it has taken so long to perform an endoscopy for Bushra Bibi? Who permitted them to disrespect Pakistan's mothers and sisters, he said.
Afridi further said that the Charter of Democracy was meant to ensure civil supremacy in Pakistan and that they are not talking just about themselves.
He asserted that Imran and other leaders only want to be released through the courts.