Continuing with his recent change of tone towards the military establishment, incarcerated PTI founder and former Pakistan’s prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday said that he was open to talks with the army.
Talking to reporters during the hearing of the 190 million pound case at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, khan suggested the military appoint a representative for these talks.
The remarks of the jailed leader came days after he had requested the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir to remain neutral in the present political dispensation of the country.
Since his ouster from power in April 2022, Khan has remained critical of the military establishment and its top leadership for their alleged involvement in politics till last week when he changed tack by toning down his rhetoric against the institution.
“We are ready to negotiate with the Army. Let the Army appoint its representative,” he said.
Khan claimed that he has never leveled allegations against the military, but only criticized it when necessary.
“When there is a spoiled child at home, it has to be criticized,” he added.
He went on to say that anyone shouldn’t give them a lesson that the military never made mistakes.
General Yahya Khan was behind the disintegration of Pakistan into two parts and general Ziaul Haq was responsible for the death sentence of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Setting his conditions for talks, the PTI chief said that he wanted the release of all party leaders and workers and the withdrawal of all cases against them, and to get back his party’s “stolen mandate.” At the same time, transparent elections are the only way to save the country, he added.
He questioned the current political environment, referring to the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC) and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi. “What is the SIFC? Who is Mohsin Naqvi? An undeclared martial law is enforced in the country,” he remarked.
He accused Naqvi of being an army representative. “Naqvi is their representative; he reached this position through them.”
He vehemently opposed any dialogue with Naqvi if he was appointed as representative of the army for talks, accusing him and the Punjab’s inspector general of police (IGP) of victimizing the PTI supporters.
