Jailed PTI leaders call for putting aside personal ambitions, political grudges for Pakistan’s sake

Five senior PTI leaders currently incarcerated at Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail said on Saturday that “internal divisions and external pressures” were threatening the country’s sovereignty, economy and democracy, and called for putting aside personal ambitions and political grudges for the sake of Pakistan.

The PTI leaders — Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Chaudhry, Mian Mahmoodur Rasheed, and Omar Sarfraz Cheema — made the remarks in a statement issued through their counsel, which was also shared by the party on X.

Earlier this week, the senior leaders had called on the government to revisit its approach toward the PTI and its founder, Imran Khan.

In the fresh statement, the five leaders said that the evolving regional and national situation should be discussed among the leadership of the opposition alliance Tehreek Tahafuz Ayeen-i-Pakistan (TTAP) and within the PTI’s political committee for “formulating a way forward in a joint session of Parliament”.

They said that currently, the last thing that Pakistan could afford was an “internal crisis on account of political instability”, highlighting the situation on the country’s eastern border and the wave of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“External threats might not be of our creation, but they do require internal cohesion, coordination and understanding to mitigate their fallout. Pakistan’s political and military leadership cannot ignore the fact that our meagre economic stability, achieved at a high cost [and] paid by the people of Pakistan, is under threat,” they said.

They further said that friendly Gulf countries planning to invest in Pakistan were “distracted” due to the US-Israeli attacks on Iran.

“A significant portion of our current foreign exchange reserves consists of deposits by friendly countries,” they said.

“Global and regional economic uncertainty will have an impact on the flows of our remittances. Closure of Gulf ports and higher shipping costs will disrupt trade and put additional pressure on our stagnating exports,” they added.

The five leaders said that rising oil and gas prices would also increase Pakistan’s import bill and wipe out the current account surplus.

“A new balance of payments crisis will ensure our dependence on the International Monetary Fund and our desire to exit the Fund programme will remain a dream. Inflation is on the rise again, minimising any reduction in the policy rate,” they said.

They also pointed out that Pakistan was unable to generate three million additional jobs required every year to address rising unemployment, while the agriculture sector was also under stress.

“At our current level of gross domestic product growth, poverty reduction is not possible. Business as usual is no longer possible and political confrontation is not desirable,” they said.

“It is time to heal divisions, restore trust and move forward with unity and dignity. Only an internally united Pakistan can deal with the external threats we are facing. All stakeholders, political parties, the military establishment, the judiciary, the legal fraternity and the media should collectively chart a way forward,” they added.

“Parliamentarians who believe in parliamentary sovereignty must come forward and play their role to pull Pakistan out of the current political stalemate,” they said.

The five leaders said that “internal divisions and external pressures are threatening our sovereignty, economy and democracy”.

“Every stakeholder, whether in government or opposition, in uniform or in robes, in Parliament or on the streets, must unite for Pakistan. Let us put aside personal ambitions, political grudges and institutional pride for the sake of Pakistan,” they stated.

They also said that when the government reached out to the opposition, it should acknolwedge the fact that there were many who questioned its legitimacy.

“The situation today cries out for a fundamental shift in how the country must be run. We must uphold the Constitution and the rule of law. If we manage our affairs properly, we can find mutually agreed solutions. Pakistan needs a healing touch. History will not forgive the existing political leadership if it fails to put its house in order,” they said.

They also urged the TTAP and the PTI to “debate and give due consideration to these thoughts”.

“However, the onus of getting Pakistan out of this political quagmire lies on the shoulders of the current regime,” they concluded.