PTI chairman challenges govt to prove any corruption case against him, his wife n Believes Army Chief considers him his enemy n Says PTI will win elections despite PDM’s ‘umpires’ n Reveals he avoided ‘arrest from airport’ by travel to Islamabad for court hearings by road.
LAHORE - Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Friday expressed his desire of holding talks with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir ‘for the betterment of the country’ stating that he had no dispute with the (military) establishment.
While speaking to reporters at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, the former prime minister discussed in detail issues related to politics, his ties with the army, his frustration with retired army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa and his recent court hearings.
Imran’s remarks come just hours after President Arif Alvi announced April 30 as the date for elections in Punjab, a demand the PTI had been pressing for since the dissolution of the provincial assemblies.
When questioned why he was not speaking to the establishment, the PTI leader said that he never had a quarrel with the establishment, and it was Gen Bajwa who “stabbed me in the back”. He added that even after he lost his government, he spoke to Gen Bajwa for the betterment of the country. But it was General (r) Bajwa who wanted to crush hi.
“But if anyone thinks that I will bend the knee, that cannot happen,” he said. Imran also criticised the retired general for “delivering a speech against Russia” and demanded that he be “court-martialed for this speech”.
“I am willing to speak to the establishment even now — for the betterment of the country — but if no one is willing to talk, what can I do?” he asked. He went on to say that “it seems like the [current] army chief is considering me his enemy”. He then challenged the incumbent army chief to prove any corruption case against him and his wife.
Speaking on the matter of the corruption cases against him, the former PM said: “The cases of corruption against my wife and me cannot be proved,” adding that if the COAS doubted his integrity so much, he should look into it personally and would find that “I am indeed innocent of any corruption”.
Khan also maintained that it was “very important” for the country’s army to be strong.
During the talk with journalists, Khan also spoke about the upcoming general elections and said: “ We [PTI] will win the election despite Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) umpires.” He declared that overseas Pakistanis stood with his party and would keep supporting PTI.
Speaking about the state of his ties with former Punjab chief minister Parvez Elahi, who recently left PML-Q and joined PTI, he said the establishment lacked an understanding of politics. “They tried their best to make Chaudhry Parvez Elahi leave my side.”
“Now we will have to show him loyalty,” Imran added, emphasising that he could not betray anyone. Commenting on the alleged threats to his life, the former premier said a video recording of his was being kept abroad. He has previously referred to the recording which, according to him, contains the names of the “conspirators”. He had said it would be made public if anything happened to him.
At one point in Friday’s conversation, Imran revealed why he chose to travel to Islamabad for court hearings by road. He said he got word that there were plans to arrest him from the airport and take him to Balochistan. “I am in danger from those who are supposed to protect me,” Imran said.
He, however, said that going to jail “gets one more votes”.
On whether the forthcoming elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab are coming at a time when the national exchequer is rapidly depleting, he suggested that if “general elections are held at once, money will be saved”. The PTI chairman claimed that the PTI would win the elections despite the “umpires siding with the PDM”.