Imran Khan's speech has background, says Fawad

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that his party wishes for amicable relations with the army.

Senior Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry said that the PTI seeks healthy relations with the army. He said that there was a background to Imran Khan's Monday speech.

Speaking to a private news channel, he said, "The PML-N leader Khurram Dastgir had stated that he was told that in case Imran Khan brings an army chief of his choosing, we [the PDM leaders] will all be in jails."

He continued to say that at that time, the ISPR should have told Khurram to shut up. However, the needful was later done by other PML-N leaders, Javed Latif and Maryam Nawaz, he said.

Fawad Chaudhry said that Khurram Dastgir has made another statement, noting that PM Sharif will appoint the next army chief. Dastgir said PM Shehbaz, during his London visit, will consult with Nawaz over the appointment of the military leader.

Imran Khan's statement was made against the backdrop that Pakistan's Secrets Act prohibits the Prime Minister from doing so, he said.

The PTI leader asked how a convicted person - a reference to Nawaz Sharif - could be consulted on the appointment of the army chief.

Imran Khan condemns PM Shehbaz 

Addressing a public rally in Chakwala yesterday [September 20], former Imran Khan instigated the public to revolt, asking them to threaten back those who threaten them from unknown numbers.

“I am asking Pakistanis to break the shackles of fear, those threatening you by calling from unknown numbers and frightening you, threaten and scare them in return,” said Khan.

He claimed that since ‘Mr X and Mr Y’ have been issuing threats to people, they should be on the receiving end of a similar treatment.

“Make people frightened by calling them from secrete numbers, and threaten them of inflicting harm," he said.

The former prime minister also mocked Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, saying that he felt intimidated in the presence of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"His legs were trembling [kanpain taang rahi theen] in the presence of Putin during their bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the recently held Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Uzbekistan.

Khan criticised PM Shehbaz for his recent foreign trips following flood devastations in the country and said: “Look at Shehbaz's insensitivity. He is visiting [countries] abroad during such conditions. What battle is he going to win aboard while the country has been flooded?”

Nitpicking the premier for his conversation with the United Nation’s Secretary-General António Guterres, he said: “I have not seen any prime minister talk like the way Shehbaz did with the UN’s secretary-general. He was asking him for money.”

He further revealed that the United Nations secretary-general knows that 60% of PM Shehbaz’s cabinet is released on bail. “On what basis would he [secretary-general] give you money as he knows that corruption cases are registered against the premier,” he said.