Imran Khan endorses GHQ protest call statement despite PTI's rebuttal

Despite rebuttal by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan has endorsed his earlier statement that he directed his party works to stage a peaceful protest outside the military's General Headquarters (GHQ)in Rawalpindi before his arrest last year. 

The incarcerated former prime minister had recently admitted to giving a call for a protest outside the GHQ before his arrest on May 9, 2023.

The PTI leadership had refuted the media reports about Khan's admission, claiming that the party founder "didn't say what is being reported in the media".

"We [categorically] deny this," former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser said referring to the party's founder's statement.

However, Khan once again endorsed what he had earlier said, stating that he had confirmed the same in "three vlogs".

"I had told the party to stage a peaceful protest outside GHQ if I get arrested," he said on Monday while speaking to reporters at Adiala jail.

He said that he had issued directives for staging protests in the cantonment areas of the garrison city, adding that he had mentioned these things a dozen times during investigations.

When asked about the the May 9 violent protests that saw attacks on state properties including military installations in many parts of the country, Khan said that the protest wasn't peaceful because the riots were "pre-planned".

He said that criticism must be done no matter what the institution it is.

The legally embattled PTI leader also came up with a new stance on the "only animals are neutral" statement from 2022.

"Neutral doesn't mean animal, it means apolitical. I meant to say the army is non-partisan," he said, while referring to his remark made at a rally in Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa when he was the prime minister in 2022.

The former premier has been embroiled in a series of cases for his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots, triggered after his arrest in a graft case, which saw several military and state installations including the Lahore Corps Commander's residence being vandalised.

The then-government, including the incumbent one, has time and again blamed the PTI founder and the party's senior leadership for orchestrating "organised" attacks on military installations.

Despite securing relief in may cases, the ex-PM remains behind bars as he was arrested in May 9 cases and new Toshakhana reference following his acquittal in iddat case.