Shawdesh Desk:

TAXILA: PTI Chairman Imran Khan, who is incarcerated in Attock Jail has ruled out “any deal to seek his release and asserted he would never leave Pakistan,” his lawyers claimed, after meeting the ex-prime minister.

Talking to journalists outside the prison following the meeting on Saturday, Advocate Shoaib Shaheen said Mr Khan has “ruled out any deal” and termed the perception of him settling abroad as baseless propaganda to dent his popularity. Mr Khan stated he neither has assets nor bank accounts abroad, according to Mr Shaheen.

The PTI chairman also called early, fair and transparent elections “the panacea of all political, economic and financial crises” that gripped the country during the 16-month rule of the PDM.

In his message for the nation, Mr Khan urged the masses to stand for their rights and that he would never bow down to the tactics of the establishment and was ready to remain behind bars for 100 years, according to Mr Shaheen.

The PTI chief was “worried about the people of Pakistan” amid the “deteriorating economic situation”.

The counsel also stated that all “180 cases” against the former premier were “politically engineered” and he had been granted bail in most of the cases.

The legal team would file for bail in the remaining cases soon, Mr Shaheen said, Mr Khan’s physician, Dr Faisal Sultan and other members of his legal team, including Salman Safdar, Ali Ijaz Buttar, Sheraz Ahmed Ranjha, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Naeem Haider Panjutha and Intazar Hussain Panjutha, were also present during the meeting.

Talking to reporters, Mr Naeem said the PTI chairman was “completely fine and healthy”.

The PTI chief’s legal team has also rejected the transfer of the cipher case against the former prime minister to Attock Jail, according to Mr Naeem.

The meeting between Mr Khan and his lawyers took place after a special court — formed to try the PTI chief and other accused in the cipher case — granted the permission on Friday.

Mr Khan was also allowed to meet his physician, Dr Sultan.

Bail plea proceedings deferred

Separately, the special court judge Abual Hasnat Zulqarnain adjourned the hearing of post-arrest bail petitions filed by Mr Khan and former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

The Saturday proceedings were def­e­r­­red without any headway since the validity of the special court, formed un­­der the Official Secrets Act, was under scru­tiny in the Islamabad High Court (IHC).

The PTI chairman had challenged the law ministry’s notification to assign Judge Zulqarnain to the special court.

Mr Khan’s counsel informed the judge that IHC has issued notices to the relevant authorities in the case, while a separate plea has been filed against the decision to move the trial of Mr Khan in the cipher case to Attock.

The FIA’s prosecutor argued the PTI chairman had filed an application in the IHC challenging the special court’s jurisdiction and since the case was sub judice, the court should adjourn the hearing.

The judge concurred with the suggestion and adjourned the proceeding till Monday.