Imran Khan. Source: AP
Pakistan’s embattled former prime minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday he would hold talks with the powerful military after he, his wife and senior party leaders were bogged down in a slew of legal cases.
Speaking to reporters inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Prison on a sideline in the case against him, the 71-year-old Khan said he wanted dialogue with the army and made it clear he had never criticised the regime but only offered constructive criticism.
The cricketer-turned-politician likened the army to a spoiled child in a family and explained that just as a wayward child is criticised, the army too must be criticised and criticism is the essence of democracy. The Express Tribune report.
Earlier, Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, was named on Tuesday as a suspect in 11 cases, including the May 9 last year attack on army headquarters.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder also filed a petition before the anti-terrorism court, seeking bail in 12 cases related to the May 9 riots last year.
Pakistan’s military has long ruled the coup-prone country and wields great power in politics, security and foreign policy.
Khan, who is currently in custody in all the cases, claims he will not get any compensation from him. He claims the cases are malicious and a form of political retaliation against him.
The riots on May 9, 2023, broke out across the country after Khan was arrested by the National Audit Bureau (NAB) in a £190 million corruption case. He faces more than 200 charges and has been jailed since August last year.
Khan has been convicted in several cases and has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi’s maximum security Adiala Prison for nearly a year, along with his wife, Bushra Bibi.
Asked about recent comments suggesting he wanted reconciliation with the military despite his past condemnations of the group, Khan stressed he had never condemned them, only criticised them.
He argued that no one should be taught that the military has never made a mistake.
Khan further said that General Ziaul Haq was behind the execution of former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and that General Yahya Khan was responsible for the fall of Dhaka.
He argued that critics of the military should not be silenced when injustices occur, according to the report.
The former prime minister has given conflicting messages in his media interactions and statements regarding negotiations with the military to end the current predicament.
But there are no signs that the administration will ease up on the pressure on him.
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