Assassination claim: Imran failed to provide evidence to JIT, says minister

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said Tuesday that Imran Khan had confessed before the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that he had no evidence to back the allegations that he levelled against the army and the government on his assassination conspiracy.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said that Khan was included in the investigation in a case registered at the Ramna police station in Islamabad, adding that the PTI chief had accused senior army officers, the prime minister and interior minister (Sana) of his murder in the past.

“The JIT showed a video to the PTI chief and he confessed that it was his own voice. During the investigation, he confessed that all his statements against the prime minister, interior minister and COAS that they wanted to kill him were baseless,” he added.

When the PTI chief was shown the FIR against him by the JIT, he was unable to provide any evidence to support the allegations he had hurled in the video clips.

“When the JIT further questioned him, Khan replied that someone had told him of their involvement in the conspiracy,” he said. “Then the PTI chairman was asked who told you. Imran Khan replied I do not remember who told me.”

The JIT inquired why he mentioned the name of DG ISI in his videos and questioned whether he had met a senior military official, whom he referred to as Dirty Harry. The PTI chairman responded that the DG ISI had held a press conference, adding that he had never held any meeting with the senior military officer whom he referred to as Dirty Harry.

Rana Sanaullah averred that Imran did not contest anywhere that this was not his audio or statement. “He confessed to giving a statement on the basis of a gossip or rumour and the JIT had got him to sign the statement. We can produce evidence if the PTI chief denies his statement,” the interior minister said.

The minister said Imran was an expert in blaming without evidence, he misled the young generation with false statements and this brainstorming has been going on since 2014. “The May 9 arrest gave him an excuse to implement his agenda,” Sana maintained adding a conspiracy was hatched to divide the Pakistan Army.

The martyrs’ memorials were desecrated and they felt that the reaction of the people would be in their favour but instead, the people stood with their patriotic forces, Sana added.

The minister vowed that those involved in the May 9 incident will be brought to justice. “Whether it is anti-national propaganda or misinformation, the law will take its own course,” he said. “No innocent will be involved in cases.”

Sana claimed that the PTI chief wanted to assemble a million-strong Tiger Force to incite an uprising within the country. He further said that this force had been supported with substantial financial resources, including loans and foreign funding, in order to orchestrate attacks on national institutions and create negative narratives against the army chief and other institutions on social media.

Sanaullah also ruled out an electoral alliance with any political party, saying the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) “does not need any alliance” to contest the upcoming general elections. “The PMLN has not taken any decision on the electoral alliance with any party,” he said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday. He, however, added that seat adjustment was possible with all political parties.