By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan again accused the country’s powerful military and its spy agency of ‘openly trying to destroy his political party’ and said he expected to be tried in a military court and jailed.

Khan, who was ousted from office last year in a parliamentary vote he claimed was rigged by the army, said the violent protests that caused widespread unrest last month following his arrest in a land scam were a ‘false flag operation’ orchestrated by the military to target him and his supporters.

The former premier claims to be facing more than 100 legal cases. Among the most high profile is the Toshakhana case, in which Khan is alleged to have sold lavish state gifts presented by the Saudi crown prince worth millions of dollars and concealed the profits.

The relationship between Khan and the current army chief, General Asim Munir, is known to be tense after Khan sacked the general from a top military intelligence post in 2019 when he was prime minister.

Khan said General Munir had a personal grudge against him because he had asked him “to resign as ISI chief” when he was prime minister.

Khan said he did not understand why General Munir was “fixated” on sidelining him and his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“He shouldn’t have issues with that now because he is the army chief,” Khan told Reuters in an interview on Sunday. “So why would he harbour that grudge?”

Khan said he had issues with how General Munir ran the ISI when he was prime minister but did not elaborate.

Khan’s brief arrest last month sparked days of street protests fueled by anger at the powerful army perceived to have orchestrated his downfall.

On May 9, Khan’s followers targeted security forces and set fire to government and military properties, including the home of the Corps Commander in Lahore.

Islamabad has labeled the violence “anti-state,” used the violence as an excuse to detain large numbers of people and the revival of army courts to try civilians who targeted government and military buildings.

The former premier said he expected to be tried in a military court and jailed for his role in the protests.

“I have absolutely no doubt that the military courts are meant for me,” he said. “I think they will, their whole charade of military courts is to imprison me.”

Khan’s deep-rooted relationship with the military has left critics skeptical of his anti-military position, alleging it is instead an attempt to weaken the army’s leadership and gain greater control over the institution, especially if he returns to power. Khan denied this.

He said two senior members of his PTI party were summoned by the ISI and pressured to quit the party.

“And when they went there, they just shut them up and said ‘You (won’t) leave unless you renounce being part of PTI,’” Khan said.

A spokesman for the military did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.

Khan, a former cricket hero, said he had tried to contact the military for talks to resolve the crisis but had got no response.

Khan said his party would continue to resist the military’s attempts to sideline him and vowed to return to power in elections due by November.

He said he was not afraid of going to jail or being killed.

“I have never been scared of death,” he said. “I have always believed that life and death are in God’s hands.”

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