Aleema Khan is of the opinion that her brother sparked a revolution in Pakistan from inside prison on 8 February, propelled by the youth and women who defied all odds to come out and protest.
Speaking from her home in Lahore, she stated that their focus is now on reclaiming the seats they believe were unfairly taken from them due to alleged vote rigging.
She revealed that lawyers had visited Imran Khan, who instructed them to protest outside the returning offices and recover the stolen seats. She firmly believes that Pakistan has witnessed widespread voter fraud, despite the government’s insistence that the elections were fair and successful.
“It wasn’t Imran Khan’s vote that they took away,” she emphasized. “They took away the right of 15 million illiterate people to recognize their candidate with that bat, the symbol for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which was banned just before the election.”
PTI-backed independents won the most seats in the election, but not a majority, with trailing party Nawaz Sharif first claiming victory.
Mr Sharif is attempting to negotiate with his opponents, rejecting any claims of fraud by his party. However, Mrs Khan believes her brother should not compromise.
“I can’t speak for my brother right now, but I’ll speak for myself,” she said. “I would be so upset if you go and sit with people who were participants in the abuse, the human rights abuse, the women, the way they were abused, the homes that were broken into, the children that were threatened. I would never expect them to be supported.”
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She expressed her dismay at Mr Sharif’s return to Pakistan from exile and the assumption by some in the establishment that he could easily take power again, calling it an “insult to Pakistanis”. Mrs Khan is of the view that independents have a two-thirds majority and the right to govern, a claim disputed by the official results, which are being challenged in the courts.
Nawaz Sharif. Pic: Reuters
Mrs Khan firmly believes that there has been a seismic change in this election, whatever government is ultimately formed. According to her, the will of the people can no longer be ignored.