LAHORE 19 May (Online): Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said he has had “no dialogue” with the military since violent protests broke out in the country following his May 9 arrest.
“The current army chief clearly has some problems with me,” Imran told news agency AFP at his Lahore home late Thursday. “I don’t know what will happen in the future, but right now there’s no dialogue.”
Hours after repeating accusations that a top intelligence officer was involved in a November attempt on his life, 70-year-old Imran was last week swarmed by paramilitary troops and arrested on graft charges.
Days of civil unrest followed (with government buildings set alight, military installations damaged, and at least nine people killed) before the Supreme Court declared the arrest illegal.
The former cricket star said the PDM government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is “scared” to face his party in general elections due no later than October.
“Our party has been facing a crackdown really for one year,” said Imran, seeming tired but resolved, sitting between the twin draped flags of Pakistan and PTI.
“I was removed from power through this conspiracy by the ex-army chief.”
The PTI chief said last week’s violence was a “conspiracy” staged to justify repression of his PTI party.
More than 7,000 people were detained as the unrest broke out and at least 19 senior PTI officials were arrested, some in overnight raids on their homes, accused of instigating violence.
“This terrorism and mobbing was all pre-planned and this was done by Khan,” Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah said last week.
The government has pledged to try those accused of violence against army installations in military courts.
But Imran said there were “outside elements that were planted inside” his protest movement, designed to discredit it.
“There were elements who deliberately incited violence, they were not part of a party,” he said. “This pretext was used to crack down on a party.”
Since Imran’s release last Friday, PTI officials have continued to face arrest while some high-level party leaders have resigned under the onslaught of pressure from authorities.
“As we speak, they’re picking up more people and putting them in jail,” Imran said.
He has faced a series of further court appearances, some relating to the unrest, which his party dismisses as more political hurdles designed to keep him from power.
The former prime minister claims the popular momentum of his party will prevail — setting the stage for more escalation between the government and the military on one side, and his movement on the other.
“Political parties cannot be destroyed by banning, by disqualifying,” he said. “Once people are with you, you are not dependent on candidates or names.”
“If anything, what will keep this country together is my party,” he said.
The PTI chairman was ousted via a parliamentary no-confidence vote last April, but the shaky PDM coalition which replaced him has struggled with a critical economic downturn and a worsening security situation, as charismatic Imran’s favour has improved.
“To everyone’s surprise, and I must say to my surprise, the party sort of just started getting more and more popular,” said the former cricketer.
His campaign for a second innings has featured various claims that there are conspiracies to keep him from power.
In November, Imran was shot in the leg as he campaigned for snap polls. His most explosive claim — repeated just hours before his arrest last week — was that the attack was planned by Shehbaz Sharif and a top intelligence officer.
Despite the rhetoric, Imran says he is open to negotiations.
“Believe me, there is no issue from my side,” he said. “The fact is, no one wants to fight with your own army.”
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