COAS Gen Bajwa should be given extension till election of new govt: Imran Khan
Imran Khan, a former prime minister and the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), stated on Monday that the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa, should be given an extension until a new government is elected in response to a question regarding the appointment of a new army chief by those with only 85 seats.
The former prime minister stated in an exclusive interview with the Dunya News programme Dunya Kamran Khan Kay Sath that dissolving the provincial assembly is still an option, adding that they also have certain ideas and would encourage the federal government to adhere to the constitution.
COAS Gen Bajwa should be given extension till election of new govt: Imran Khan
He said that on the one hand, a message is being conveyed that everyone should work together, while on the other hand, his party is being pushed against the wall. “I can bring the whole nation onto the streets,” he said.
Imran Khan said that the country was passing through a difficult phase and he decided to stage a peaceful protest and go home, adding that the elections could be delayed by around two months. “How can a fugitive with just 85 seats appoint a new army chief,” he asked, adding that the opponents could appoint a new army chief if they win the election and he would have no problem.
Floods and climate change
According to the PTI chairman, the country has been devastated by floods brought on by the torrential rains that began at Koh-e-Suleiman. The rice crop in Sindh has been destroyed by the accumulated flood water, which could cause a future food crisis and force the entire country to assist the flood victims.
Imran Khan continued by saying that since no dams have been built in Pakistan in the previous 50 years, the country currently needs both internal and external assistance. He added that during his administration, the development of 10 dams had begun.
Exchange rate
The former prime minister claimed that the dollar was worth Rs 178 during the PTI government’s rule, with a growth rate of 6% and $31 billion in remittances coming from Pakistanis living abroad.
Conspiracy
Khan said that a conspiracy was hatched to topple his government when the country was progressing, adding that he had warned those who had the power. “We said that no one would be able to manage the economy in case of instability at that time, adding that they had no plan to manage the economy, these people just wanted to get rid of their cases.”
The former PM said that he could not imagine that Allah would give him such popularity, adding that he had not seen such enthusiasm during the PTI’s public rallies in big cities. “We are benefiting from every effort of the government, even in Musharraf’s era, I have not seen such cruelty, fascism, people are being intimidated, people are getting calls from anonymous numbers, cable operators were threatened in a telethon,” he added. “My popularity is increasing, but I am afraid of economic conditions,” Imran said.
New elections
While reiterating his call for early elections, the PTI supremo said that the best option is to hold elections in the country to bring political stability, and we have the option to resign from all our governments.
“I can take the nation out on the streets whenever I want, and people come to the streets on my two-hour call, the condition of the common man is bad. It is not a difficult task to evacuate the people, but I decided on peaceful protests because the country is facing a difficult time and we cannot bear more damage,” he said.
COAS extension
Imran Khan admitted and stated that accepting the name of the Chief Election Commissioner was a big mistake, adding that the establishment had given a guarantee, but the Chief Election Commissioner left no room against us. “The CEC openly opposed and sabotaged the EVM, and if a transparent election is to be held in the country, voting must be done with a machine,” he added.
The former PM further added that intellectuals like Ayaz Amir were humiliated, adding that two TV channels were closed, but if Shehbaz Sharif is not taking responsibility for all these acts, then he should tell the nation who is behind these actions.
“Nations that are developing have a better merit system, and the main reason for China s development is the merit system. I said that Nawaz and Zardari are not qualified to appoint COAS because they are globally recognized corrupt leaders,” Imran took a dig at PPP and PML-N bigwigs.
Lashing out at PM Shehbaz Sharif, Imran went on to dub him [Shehbaz] as a “fugitive”, questioning how the person with 85 seats can have the power to select the COAS. Reiterating the narrative of a foreign conspiracy, Imran said that the current government came into power through a plot, but if the people in the coalition government came to rule by getting a mandate through the vote, then they [the coalition government] could go for the selection of the COAS. “I am ready to talk with everyone, but first we will talk about the general elections.” However, “they [coalition government] get upset when they hear about elections, so how could I talk to them,” said the former premier.
“I neither have any property abroad nor intend to run away from this country. These people live in the richest areas of London, but for me, Pakistan is a priority,” said the PTI Chairman. He also warned that the country will continue to face the worst situation if this government continues to rule. The PTI Chairman added that he has “no idea how long it will take Pakistan to get back on track if the country has to go bankrupt.” Imran claimed that there was no possibility of political stability in the country under the coalition government. Talking about Sindh by-elections, Imran went on to say that the province has been witnessing floods due to which by-elections could be delayed for two months. Sharing his thoughts about the western world, the former premier claimed that no one but him better knew the “psyche” of the western world.
Taking a dig at PM Shehbaz, Imran went on to claim that during Shehbaz Sharif’s conservation with the UN Secretary, he [Shehbaz] had said quite “weird” things. He further lashed out at the PM Shehbaz-led government and said that 60 percent of Shehbaz’s cabinet are on bail. The Financial Accountability, Transparency, and Integrity (FACTI) panel has conducted research in the world, saying that the elite class, by looting money, sends money to western countries.
Imported govt of cabal of crooks & their handlers stooped to new lows last night when they tried to blackout my telethon for flood relief fund raising. First they pressured channels not to air telethon. When some channels continued to air telethon they threatened cable operators.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) September 12, 2022
