Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has said that it would be ‘foolish’ not to have ‘excellent’ relations with the army.
In a written interview with Reuters from Rawal Pindi’s Adiala jail, he said he had no ill feelings against the US, which he blamed for ousting him from office in 2022. However, Washington denies any role in the matter.
In August last year, Imran Khan, who faced dozens of charges ranging from corruption to revealing state secrets, has completed a year in jail.
In an interview published on Reuters on Sunday, he said, ‘Given Pakistan’s geographical position and the important role of the military in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship (with the military). We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces.
Imran Khan said that his ‘criticism against the army since his dismissal was aimed at individuals and not at the army as an institution.’
He further said that ‘the entire institution should not be blamed for the wrong assumptions of the military leadership.’
A few days ago on Wednesday, Imran Khan offered to hold ‘conditional talks’ with the army if ‘clean and transparent’ elections are held and ‘fake’ cases against his supporters are withdrawn.
The Pakistan Army and the government did not respond to requests for comment on Imran Khan’s interview. However, both have denied their claims several times in the past.
In his answers, Imran Khan did not specify what he wanted to discuss with the army.
‘Ready for any talks with the army’
Imran Khan, who lost power in a parliamentary no-confidence vote, alleged that the army was supporting politically motivated cases against him. However, the army strongly denies this allegation.
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He said that if he is released from jail and there are no obstacles in his return to power, there is no problem in holding talks with the military leadership.
He said that we are ready for any dialogue that can help improve the dire situation of Pakistan.
He further said that starting any such negotiations with the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is futile as this government does not have popular support.
Imran Khan claims that Shahbaz Sharif’s government won the ‘stolen’ elections in February. However, the Election Commission says that the elections were free and fair.
“It would be more productive to talk to the people who actually hold the power,” he says.
Imran Khan rejected the idea of an out-of-court settlement with the government or the military, provided they conceded that the PTI won a majority in the February elections.
Imran Khan claimed that these elections were the most rigged in the history of Pakistan.
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2024-08-05 11:31:06
