By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan denounced the recent attacks on army installations on Thursday while also accusing the ruling coalition of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of attempting to sideline the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from mainstream politics by inciting conflict between the military and his party.
In an attempt to distance himself from the violent protests following his arrest in a land corruption case from an Islamabad court last week, Khan said his party solely advocates for non-violence and had no conflict with the military establishment.
A spate of violence erupted throughout the country and angry supporters set fire to buildings and vehicles and launched attacks on police, military, and civilian facilities. The clashes resulted in the loss of 10 lives, with authorities arresting over 7,000 individuals. The Supreme Court later ordered Khan’s release and criticized the way he was apprehended.
Senior PTI leaders, including former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, Shireen Mazari, Maleeka Bokhari, and Asad Umar, have also been apprehended in recent days.
Both the army and the government have pledged to subject the “arsonists” involved in the violent protests to military law.
Khan placed blame on the influential security and intelligence apparatus of the country, alleging their infiltration of the protesting crowds, which ultimately led to acts of vandalism against government installations.
During his first press conference held after his arrest, Khan said he was not engaging in any dialogue with anyone as discussions would only take place regarding the “issue of elections and nothing else.”
“I have no conflict with the other side (establishment), but I do not know why they are annoyed with me,” the PTI chairman said in response to a question.
Responding to a question, he reiterated his allegations against the PDM, claiming that the ruling alliance was conspiring with the military to dismantle PTI.
He warned that such a move would be detrimental to the country, potentially leading to circumstances similar to the dismemberment of Pakistan in 1971.
“If anyone fights against its army, the country will be defeated.”
Addressing the issue of desertion within his party, Khan sympathized with the leaders who left PTI under pressure during the crackdown. However, he commended those PTI members who remained steadfast, praising them for their refusal to succumb to pressure tactics.
“Even if I am left alone, I will continue to fight for genuine freedom for this country,” Khan said. “No one should even think that I will back down in the face of this pressure.”
Khan demanded a comprehensive investigation by an independent commission into the riots, including an attack on Corps Commander House in Lahore.
He alleged that the attacks were part of a premeditated conspiracy and pledged to provide evidence to substantiate his party’s claims. “I can foretell that any fair investigation will reveal that the attacks were part of a planned conspiracy.”
Regarding the alleged presence of terrorists at his residence, Khan questioned the government’s failure to disclose their identities, suggesting that it was a ploy to accuse him of harboring terrorists.
“The reason the caretaker government did not disclose their identities was that they were planning to bring 30-40 people with them and then accuse me of harboring terrorists, just like last time when they broke into my house… [and] planted Kalashnikov and petrol bombs,” the former premier said.
The province’s interim information minister, Amir Mir, had set a 24-hour deadline for Khan to surrender the individuals involved in the attacks, threatening a police operation otherwise. The deadline to hand over ‘terrorists’ expired late Thursday evening, raising the spectre of a raid on Khan’s Lahore residence.
Meanwhile, President Arif Alvi condemned the May 9th violent protests and called for legal action against arsonists.
Speaking in an interview with private Geo News, President Alvi, however, said action should not involve physical abuse or torture of the suspects.
“Not only should they be condemned, but all those who are involved in this [violent protests], who carried out these acts, action should be taken against them,” the president said. “By action, I mean they should be handed punishments according to the court cases [against them] … Pakistan should take care of the human rights violations that are taking place now.”
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