Imran wants army to nominate representative for talks

ISLAMABAD: PTI founder Imran Khan on Tuesday expressed his desire for talks with the military and clarified that he had never maligned the military but resorted to constructive criticism.

In an informal conversation with journalists in the courtroom after the hearing of the 190 million pounds reference, he likened the military to a spoiled child in a household, explaining that just as a wayward child was critiqued, the military was criticized as criticism was the essence of democracy. He said his party was ready to hold talks with the military. “We are ready to hold talks with the military. The army should nominate their representative.”

The former prime minister put forth four demands before holding talks with the army. He said: “Our stolen mandate be returned, PTI leaders and activists be released ending cases against them, transparent election be conducted as it is must to save the country. Also, Maulana Fazlur Rehman is talking about the 3rd phase by referring to resignations from assemblies.”

Imran, who has been imprisoned for nearly a year, said his party never levelled allegations against the army but had only criticised the armed forces. If any PTI worker is found guilty of May 9 riots, authorities should penalise him. He reiterated that the government wanted to destroy his party by creating a wedge between the PTI and armed forces.

When asked why he was seeking talks when he was criticising the army and why wasn’t he seeking talks with political parties, Imran said: “What is the SIFC? Who is Mohsin Naqvi? There is an undeclared martial law.” He said Interior Minister Naqvi was “their” representative and that he reached “this place due to them”. He then alleged that he would never hold talks with Naqvi as he along with the inspector general of Punjab Police “oppressed” his party.

Imran also termed Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz “fascist” while pointing towards back-to-back arrests of PTI leaders across the province. The deposed prime minister, referring to his arrest last year, alleged that he was “abducted from the judicial complex” and “it was declared legal by Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq”. He demanded that the IHC CJ recuse himself from his cases. Appealing to the judiciary, he said his cases be referred to any other high court judges except Justice Farooq.

Slamming Imran’s call for negotiations, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader and Punjab Senior Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said the “self-proclaimed revolutionary figure” had now descended from his previous stance. She questioned on what issues the PTI founder wanted to hold dialogue with the military.

Referring to the May 9 protests, she asked Imran to tender an apology to the military for “attacking GHQ, martyrs monuments, corps commander’s house and an airbase, instead of demanding talks”. Reacting to Imran’s “fascist” remarks against the Punjab CM, she said: “A fascist is an individual who violates the Constitution for staying in power. A fascist is a person who arrests a daughter before his imprisoned father to torture political opponents.”

Responding to Imran’s allegations, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari said the PTI founder was himself a “fascist ruler” who sent more than 100 PMLN leaders behind the bars in political cases. The PMLN leaders did not leave Nawaz Sharif and the party despite facing arrests. On the other hand, PTI leaders conducted press conferences to announce quitting the Imran-founded party after spending only one night in jail. She asked Imran not to throw the burden of his “crimes, failed rebellion and anti-Pakistan conspiracies” on CM Maryam. She said those responsible for the “failed rebellion” on May 9 would be held accountable.

Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar accused Imran of conveniently changing stances for vested interest and begging for talks, taking another U-turn. He said Imran was a security risk for this country. “Your people say if the PTI founder is not there, there is no Pakistan. Now a new story has emerged from the prison. He knows that his social media cell has been caught, the tentacles of which are found outside,” he asserted.

Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House in Islamabad, the minister alleged that now a new movie had come that “please talk to me (Imran)”. He said a polygraph test would prove that “you carried out May 9 attacks. You mounted attacks on May 9, you desecrated the memorials of martyrs; you created a threat to the national security institutions and the country’s security. When you do, you create a false narrative and try to mislead the public,” he charged.

He said Imran Khan did politics against the country’s interests, his list of crimes was long that was not ending. Referring to the recent volley of statements issued by the PTI founder, he recalled that he once said that “neutral is an animal” and now started series of begging. “Now when the institution has become neutral, you are saying to it talk to you,” he quoted the PTI founder’s diverse statements.

Addressing Imran, the minister said the whole world heard when he said to play with the cipher while the institution said they had become neutral, now he was asking for support from the institution. “You settle terrorists in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, run social media cells and now say ‘talk to me’”, he said and contended that now Imran wanted to involve the institution in politics for his political interests. He said the PTI conducted a systematic campaign against institutions on social media, the country’s economy was severely damaged during their tenure, what steps did these people take to establish peace in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa?

Earlier, the Accountability Court postponed the hearing of the 190 million pounds reference against PTI founder Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi till August 3.

Judge Muhammad Ali Waraich heard the reference in the Adiala jail, Rawalpindi. The accused were presented in the court. NAB Prosecutor General Muzaffar Abbasi and Amjad Pervez appeared in the court along with their team. The lawyers of accused Zaheer Abbas and Usman Riaz Gul were also present.

The court recorded the statement of NAB Investigating Officer Umar Nadeem, while the lawyers completed the cross-examination of a second witness, Deputy Director NAB Umair Rather. The court then adjourned the hearing till August 3.

It should be noted that the cross-examination of a total of 35 witnesses in the reference has been completed.