Imran ‘ready to talk to anyone, render any sacrifice’ for sake of country’s ‘interests, democracy’

Embattled PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday struck a reconciliatory tone, saying he was ready to “talk to anyone” and “render any sacrifice” for the sake of the country’s “uplift, interest and democracy”.

Imran, who has a number of cases against him, has been resisting arrest and is holed up inside his Zaman Park residence surrounded by thousands of supporters, who have fought “pitched battles” with the police and Rangers over the past few days.

“I will not refrain from any sacrifice for the sake of Pakistan’s uplift, interest and democracy,” he tweeted today. “In this regard, I am willing to talk to anyone and take every step towards it.”

“I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the people of Pakistan who joined us in the struggle for true freedom and to our workers from all over Pakistan, including Lahore,” he added in another tweet.

Imran’s remarks came a day after Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif extended an olive branch to him, emphasising that all political forces will have to sit for dialogue to rid the country of the ongoing political and economic crises.

“All political forces will have to sit together to take the country forward,” the premier had said while addressing a meeting held with a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) at the PM House.

However, PM Shehbaz had also lamented that he had invited PTI for talks on two occasions in the recent past, but the party did not turn up.

“Though politicians always resort to dialogue, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has a history of not responding positively in this regard,” he noted.

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