LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan strongly condemned the recent attack on army installations and accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of attempting to remove PTI from mainstream politics by creating a rift between the army and the opposition party.
In the aftermath of the violence on May 9, the crackdown on PTI intensified. Imran Khan, the former prime minister, stated that his party has no conflicts with the establishment. During his first press conference following his arrest, which triggered widespread riots, he emphasized that he would only engage in discussions related to elections and nothing else.
In response to a question, Imran Khan expressed his confusion regarding the establishment’s annoyance towards him, reiterating his allegations that the PDM, in collaboration with the military, was conspiring to eliminate PTI. He warned that such actions could lead to circumstances similar to the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971, emphasizing that fighting against the army would result in the defeat of the country.
Imran Khan acknowledged the resignations within his party and expressed sympathy for the leaders who left PTI under pressure during the crackdown. Regarding recent departures, such as Malik Amin Aslam, he remained uncertain about their potential return to the party.
However, Imran Khan praised the party leaders who remained steadfast, acknowledging their refusal to succumb to pressure tactics. He declared that he would continue standing for the cause of “Haqeeqi Azadi” (true freedom) even if he were left alone, undeterred by assassination attempts.
Imran Khan demanded a comprehensive investigation by an independent commission into the riots that occurred on May 9, including the attack on army installations, such as the Corps Commander House in Lahore. He alleged that the attacks were part of a planned conspiracy and pledged to provide evidence to substantiate his party’s claims. Imran Khan criticized the police and soldiers for their failure to prevent the rioters and called for the government to provide CCTV footage.
Addressing allegations of harboring terrorists, Imran Khan denied the presence of any terrorists in his residence and accused the caretaker government of planning to bring individuals and falsely accuse him, similar to a previous incident where weapons were allegedly planted in his house.
Imran Khan also questioned the status of the interim governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which failed to hold general elections within the stipulated 90-day period. He asserted that free and fair elections were the only way to resolve the country’s current political and economic crises.
Additionally, Imran Khan skipped a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) hearing related to the Al-Qadir Trust probe. He submitted a detailed reply, asserting that he was not the custodian of the document in question and cited his prior engagements as the reason for not appearing in person.
Imran Khan deemed the case politically motivated and accused NAB of playing a role in his illegal arrest. He called for the provision of relevant documents and criticized NAB for failing to refute his legal objections during the inquiry. Imran Khan also demanded a copy of the inquiry report, which he claimed was not provided to him, and requested that his personal belongings left at Police Lines Islamabad be sent to him at his residence.
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