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Lahore
With pressure mounting from all quarters, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf chief Imran Khan is preparing for the worst-case scenario. The cricketer-turned-politician has named Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pervez Khattak as the two leaders to lead the party in case he is arrested or disqualified by the authorities.
"I know that there is a plan to arrest me, disqualify me, or even kill me. If I am arrested or disqualified, Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pervez Khattak will handle the [party] affairs," Khan was quoted as saying by Pakistani media.
"The time will soon change, and in the coming days, I will give a big surprise. There is no fight between me and the military," he added.
Although Khan named Qureshi as his replacement, the PTI vice chairman is currently behind bars. Qureshi was rearrested by Punjab Police from outside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail and whisked away to an unknown location, minutes after the Islamabad High Court (IHC) ordered his release last week (May 23).
Prior to being rearrested, Qureshi encouraged the party workers to continue their struggle for 'true freedom.' He also asserted that he was not leaving the party, contrary to rumours.
WATCH | Imran Khan blames Pakistan Army chief Asim Munir for arrest
Khan constitutes negotiation team
Khan made the announcement on Saturday as he constituted a negotiating team to hold talks with the government. Apart from Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Pervez Khattak, the likes of Asad Qaiser, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Aun Abbasi, Murad Saeed, and Hammad Azhar have been named to the committee.
They will be responsible for formulating a plan of action in relation to the elections and engaging with the government.
ALSO READ | Imran Khan's close aide Shah Mahmood Qureshi arrested minutes after release from jail
May 9 rioters should be punished like US Capitol Hill attackers
The announcement by Khan came on the same day as when Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the perpetrators responsible for May 9 riots will be tried in the same way as the US Capitol Hill attackers.
"Today, in the city of Quaid, we all are ashamed of what happened on May 9 in Lahore. Justice requires punishing the perpetrators like the rioters of the Capitol building on January 6, 2021," said Sharif.
“If that [American] punishment is legal, then no one should object if we do so under our law for the desecration of the memorials," he added.
(With inputs from agencies)
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