Imran Khan says ready to apologise over May 9 riots if PTI activists found involved

Jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has expressed willingness to tender conditional apology over the May 9 protests, demanding that the CCTV footage of the riots broke out last year should be produced.

Speaking to reporters in a makeshift courtroom setup inside Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, the former prime minister said that he would apologise if the PTI activists were found involved in the violent protests that broke out in the country last year following his arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a corruption case.

The violent protests saw attacks on public properties including military installations in many parts of the country, prompting the civil and military leadership to try the rioters under the Army Act.

The PTI chief, who has been incarcerated in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, has time and again distanced his party from the protests, alleging that the riots were pre-planned and staged to launch a crackdown on the opposition party.

"I will sack and myself seek punishment for the PTI members if they were found involved [in the May 9 incidents]," he added.

Apparently referring to his arrest on May 9 last year, the PTI founder lamented that he was "dragged" by Rangers. "There is no respect for a popular person in Pakistan and globally," he added.

"Don’t you feel obliged to apologise to me?" asked the PTI founder.

The latest statement came as the PTI founder has apparently lowered his political rhetoric lately and offered to hold talks with the military.

Ahead of Monday's anniversary of his jailing on dozens of charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, Khan told Reuters that it would be "foolish" not to have "excellent" relations with the army.

He also stated in a written response to Reuters questions that he held no grudges against the United States, whom he has also blamed for his 2022 ouster from the PM Office.

"Given Pakistan's geographical position and the military's significant role in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship," Khan wrote in replies relayed by his media and legal team.

"We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces," he said.

Khan said his criticisms since his ouster had been directed at individuals, not the military as an institution.

"The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn't be held against the institution as a whole."

Last week, Khan offered to hold "conditional negotiations" with the military — if "clean and transparent" elections were held and the "bogus" cases against his supporters were dropped.

‘Petrol bombs’

In today's interaction, the former cricket star also admitted that the PTI activists hurled petrol bombs at law enforcers outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore.

"We only used petrol bombs in Zaman Park, Lahore — nowhere else," he said while responding to a question that PTI activists were spotted carrying petrol bombs during the May 9 riots.

The PTI founder further noted that any office-holder of his party, if found involved in such incidents, should be penalised after identifying them via CCTV footage.

The incarcerated party founder also referred to the recent press briefing by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, saying that the chief military spokesperson had stated that mafias were funding the anti-Pakistan campaign.

"You told us the stories of corruption by [PML-N President] Nawaz Sharif and [President Asif Ali) Zardari. But the same people were imposed on the country after rigging the general elections," he said.

The Pakistan Army is a national institution and it is the responsibility of every Pakistani to defend it, said the embattled leader.

The PTI founder said he was seeking talks with the establishment for the sake of the country and added that he would not hold talks if the other party was not interested.

Referring to the ouster of PM Sheikh Hasina following deadly students' protests, the former premier said the situation in Pakistan is worse than in Bangladesh.

Voicing his premonition, Khan claimed that "something big is imminent to take place" in the country, especially on the heels of events that unfolded in Bangladesh and culminated in Sheikh Hasina's ouster.

"Do you still idealise Sheikh Mujib-ur-Rehman as your hero?" a journalist asked. The PTI leader responded that whatever he had said in connection with 1971 fall of Dhaka were the findings of the Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission, not his assertions.

He said his political rivals Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Mohsin Naqvi may also run away from the country like the Bangladesh premier fled the country and demanded placing their names on no-fly list.

On Monday, the DG ISPR rejected reports of talks with the PTI leadership maintaining that there was no change in the stance of the Pakistan Army on the May 9 violent protests.

“Army’s stance on [May 9] is clear, which was conveyed in the May 7 [2024] press conference. There has been no change in that nor there will be,” he said while briefing the media on the country's security situation at Rawalpindi's General Headquarters (GHQ).