Islamabad : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Wednesday that former prime minister Imran Khan has offered to help resolve tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan — if he is released on parole.
Speaking to reporters outside Adiala Jail after meeting the PTI founder, Gohar quoted Imran as saying:
“Release me on parole, and I will solve the Afghanistan problem for you.”
Imran Khan has been imprisoned since August 2023, serving a sentence in the £190 million corruption case, while also facing multiple trials under the Anti-Terrorism Act linked to the May 9 protests. PTI leaders have repeatedly voiced concerns about his health and that of his wife, Bushra Bibi.
The statement comes amid renewed border clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan that left several dead and injured on both sides, prompting Islamabad to announce a temporary 48-hour ceasefire following Taliban requests for de-escalation.
Imran’s sister, Noreen Niazi, also told reporters that her brother was deeply distressed by the “hasty repatriation” of Afghan refugees. “He believes peace is the job of politicians,” she said. “Imran has offered to play his role in achieving it — but only if released on parole.”
She added that Imran had warned of Pakistan’s worsening economic and political situation, pointing to the exodus of businesses and foreign investors. “He says peace can only come with political stability.”
However, Noreen doubted that authorities would take her brother up on his offer.
Meanwhile, a post on Imran Khan’s official X (formerly Twitter) account — managed by his media team — stressed the importance of dialogue with the Afghan government and local stakeholders to tackle terrorism.
“The issue of terrorism cannot be solved without dialogue with the Afghan government,” the post read, adding that all relevant parties — including tribal elders, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, and the federal authorities — should jointly devise a long-term strategy for peace.
