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Pakistan's former information minister Fawad Chaudhry said that he does not see any chance of incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan being released from Adiala Jail as long as the current party leadership is in charge, reported Dawn.
Chaudhry's remarks come in the latest series of broadsides launched against the present PTI leadership over the past week. He left Imran Khan's party in the aftermath of the state's crackdown against the party following the May 9 riots. Earlier this month, the interior minister said that the current PTI leadership had badly failed to provide a political strategy due to which problems were exacerbating for the party despite enjoying massive public support, as reported by Dawn. "The real focus of the PTI should be on building an opposition alliance with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and Jamaat-i-Islami," Chaudhry said while speaking to journalists at his residence in Ladhar. On Thursday, Chaudhry, in a private conversation with Dawn said that no one in the current party leadership had the "political stature" or the ability to mobilise the masses as Imran did. He also claimed that there were people in the party who did not want to see Imran Khan out of jail as that would spell the end of their political careers, reported Dawn. In a video message on X, Chaudhry today said that a number of people advised him not to criticise the leadership as it would weaken the party. However, he said, he did not see even a "1 per cent" chance that Imran would be released from prison as long as the present leadership takes strategic decisions. The former minister said he was criticised for "returning" now that the "good times" were back but wondered if the current situation can be regarded as such. "There are 47 cases against me which are ongoing," he said, adding that "bad times" had not ended for leaders who were still in prison or facing charges. He further said that a large number of PTI leaders were still in prison, according to Dawn. "The bad times have probably [only] ended for the people who did not face any difficulty," he said. "There is not even 1pc chance that the current leadership can bring Imran out [of jail]," he said. Moreover, he said that the current party leadership neither had any political strategy, nor the capacity to create one. Without naming anyone, he accused the PTI's secretary information of charging money to the party for his services, accusing the party leadership of running "their own economies". He said that the veteran members of the party should be included in the decision-making so that a political plan could be created. Later in the day, Chaudhry also stressed that the present PTI leadership should also allow others to approach Imran Khan in jail. "This leadership is not letting access to Imran Khan so that their 'business model' keeps working," he said. Responding to the party's counter-accusation that Chaudhry was "desperate" to come back, he said, "Of course, I am desperate, I am desperate because I can see how these people are sinking the ship...They don't have any political strategy." (ANI)
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