No change after new army chief, hardships have increased: Imran Khan

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan says that he had thought that there would be a change once the new [army] chief comes in, but that there has been no progress and rather, hardships in the country have increased.

In an interview with British broadcaster BBC, the former prime minister commented that there is a statement being reported that he wouldn't need the establishment if he wanted to talk to the army chief. He said a party which the country's public supports doesn't need crutches. 

The PTI chief commented that he only wanted elections in the country and was ready to talk to anyone for that.

In response to a question, Imran Khan said: "I was asked if the establishment talks to you, will you do it? I said, I am a political person and I will talk to everyone, except thieves."

Imran Khan, however, maintained that he never invited the army chief or Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for talks.

The PTI chief’s comments came a day after Gen Asim Munir, while speaking to the country’s leading businessmen earlier this week, had revealed that Khan requested a meeting but was denied.

Ex-PM Imran Khan, when asked about the attitude of the establishment after the change in military command, said, "It didn't matter to us, cases were filed against us during the tenure of General (retd) Bajwa. Never before that, had there been so much custodial torture against senior citizens. We thought that there will be a change, but there has been no change, rather the difficulties have increased”.

He further said that they [the ruling parties] want me disqualified or go to jail and win this election. “The nation was against the ruling parties, so I won the 2018 election. And after this inflation, these parties have been buried.'

Regarding Pervez Elahi’s induction into the party and appointment as the president, Imran Khan said that the vice-chairman is the number two person in the PTI hierarchy.

Imran Khan said that there are more than 70 cases against him, these cases are of strange nature and will end as soon as they go to court.