Imran Khan, Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), strongly condemned the recent attack on military installations and accused the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) of aiming to eliminate the PTI from mainstream politics by causing a schism between the army and the opposition party.
Following the May 9 incident, the crackdown on the PTI became more severe. Former Prime Minister Imran Khan declared that his party has no disagreements with the establishment and he condemns attacks on military installations. During his first news conference following his detention, which sparked widespread riots, he stressed that he would only engage in election-related topics.
In response to a query, Imran Khan voiced his surprise at the establishment’s dislike for him, maintaining his claims that the PDM was plotting with the military to eliminate the PTI. He cautioned that such acts could lead to a situation akin to Pakistan’s disintegration in 1971, emphasizing that battling the army would result in the country’s downfall.
Imran Khan accepted the resignations within his party and expressed compassion for the leaders who left the PTI in the midst of the crackdown. He was unsure about the likely return of recent departures, such as Malik Amin Aslam, to the party.
Imran Khan, on the other hand, thanked the party officials who remained steady, noting their reluctance to cave into pressure methods. He claimed that he would continue to fight for “Haqeeqi Azadi” (genuine freedom) even if he was alone, unafraid of assassination attempts.
Imran Khan has urged that an impartial panel conduct a thorough probe into the May 9 riots, including the attack on army institutions such as the Corps Commander House in Lahore. He said that the attacks were part of a planned conspiracy and promised to bring evidence to back up his accusations. Imran Khan chastised the police and army for failing to stop the riots and demanded that the government provide CCTV recordings.
In response to charges that he harbored terrorists, Imran Khan denied the presence of any terrorists in his home and accused the caretaker administration of plotting to bring persons and falsely accuse him, similar to a prior event in which weapons were supposedly hidden in his home.
Imran Khan also questioned the interim governments in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for failing to organize general elections within the 90-day deadline. He claimed that the best way to fix the country’s current political and economic difficulties was through free and fair elections.
Imran Khan also skipped a National Accountability Bureau (NAB) hearing on the Al-Qadir Trust investigation. He responded in detail, claiming that he was not the custodian of the paper in question and citing prior commitments as the reason for his inability to appear in person.
Imran Khan saw the case as politically motivated and accused the NAB of interfering with his illegal detention. He demanded the production of relevant papers and chastised the NAB for failing to refute his legal arguments during the investigation. Imran Khan also wanted a copy of the inquiry report, which he said was withheld from him, and that his personal things left at Police Lines Islamabad be delivered to him at his residence.
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