Imran was summoned by the ACE on June 16 but he did not appear before it. The summon was affixed at Imran’s Lahore Zaman Park residence…reports Asian Lite News
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of Pakistan’s Punjab has summoned the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, his sister Uzma Khan and her husband Ahad Majeed in the Layyah land corruption case, media reported.
According to a notification issued by the spokesperson, the PTI chief has been asked to appear before the ACE headquarters on June 19 whereas Uzma and her husband have been asked to present themselves before the ACE Director General.
Earlier, Imran was summoned by the ACE on June 16 but he did not appear before it. The summon was affixed at Imran’s Lahore Zaman Park residence.
The spokesperson maintained that the ACE had “clear evidence” of Imran’s involvement in the Layyah corruption scandal, adding that pressure was exerted on revenue officials from Bani Gala- Imran’s residence in Islamabad — for illegal transfer of land, Express Tribune reported.
Uzma is accused of alleged fraud in purchase of 5,261-kanal of land in Layyah district, reportedly worth billions of rupees, for a mere Rs 130 million. The ACE said that an FIR had been registered against the couple.
According to the spokesperson, the land was bought in 2021-22 through fraud, adding that Uzma and Majeed made a fake transfer of the land on their names.
He said the marker value of the land was about Rs six billion. The purchase, he added, was made when the ADB announced aid for the Greater Thal Canal project, which aimed at irrigating the barren lands through Thal canal.
The spokesperson said Uzma had prior knowledge of the project, so the couple forced the landowner to sell it to them. He added that the land owners had filed complaints against Uzma and others to the police for forcibly buying the land, Express Tribune reported.
Immediately following his arrest, the country descended into chaos and anarchy ensued. Never seen before scenes surfaced as Imran Khan’s supporters cried foul play and vowed vengeance…reports Asian Lite News
Arson, vandalism, plumes of smoke and gunshots…all hell broke loose in Pakistan as former Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on corruption charges following months of trial and investigation.
Khan’s supporters stormed government buildings, vandalized properties and clashed with security forces. Omar Ayub Khan, another supporter of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said that “Imran Khan was abducted illegally and confined in a case which has no meaning whatsoever”.
These unprecedented scenes…described as a ‘Black Chapter’ by the Pakistan army, marked a fresh low in Pakistan’s political discourse which has been plagued by months of political and economic crises.
What led to this state of chaos and upheaval? Why is a former Prime Minister in the line of fire? Why has almost every Pakistani Prime Minister met a similar fate?
Sushant Sareen a senior fellow at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) had said while commenting on the country’s political culture “Pakistan’s political culture is like that, you are either in the prime minister’s house and the day you leave the prime minister’s house very often you are in Adiala jail (Rawalpindi, Pakistan). So they shuffle between those two places”.
What role does Pakistan’s army have to play in the deadly unrest?
In a stunning twist of fate, former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was arrested on corruption charges by Pakistani paramilitary, forcefully escorted out of the Islamabad High Court premises, and taken to Rawalpindi- the home to GHQ, the Pakistan army headquarters.
Immediately following his arrest, the country descended into chaos and anarchy ensued. Never seen before scenes surfaced as Imran Khan’s supporters cried foul play and vowed vengeance.
Ghulam Farooq one of many Imran Khan supporters previously had said that “yesterday, they the (government) inflicted a great atrocity on us. They crossed our red line. But they should not expect that after that we are going to sit quietly. We are going to teach them a lesson that they will remember all their lives”.
The House of an army corps commander was attacked; the Radio Pakistan building was set ablaze and Khan’s supporters aggressively sought retribution from the Pakistan army, alleging that Khan’s arrest was a politically motivated act of army handiwork.
Muneer Bangash yet another Imran Khan supporter said while he was protesting against Khan’s arrest “For Khan, we are willing to lay down our lives. We have closed our businesses and have come out (to protest), although I am the sole breadwinner of my family. Anytime, we can besiege any government building, and we are ready to do it. Whether they shoot down one hundred or three hundred or a thousand, no matter how many Party workers they shoot down, we will continue (protesting).”
It is alleged that Imran Khan and his spouse were given land worth millions of dollars by a real estate mogul via a charitable trust. Imran Khan has denied any wrongdoing.
In the eyes of his loyal supporters, Imran is beyond criticism and can do no wrong. Opposing voices, however, maintain that Imran Khan was among the top corrupt leaders while in office and deserves to be barred from public life.
Shehbaz Sharif.(photo:instagram)
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose alliance had ousted Khan from the Prime Minister chair through a no-confidence vote vowed that demonstrators would be dealt with an iron hand.
Opposing the adverse situation after the arrest of Khan, Shehbaz Sharif the current Prime Minister of the country said that “they detained people inside vehicles on roads, risking their lives. So much so that they pulled patients from ambulances and set the vehicles on fire. Private and government vehicles were burned. The perpetrators who take the law into their hands will be dealt with an iron hand. They will be punished according to the law and constitution”.
While Khan’s arrest led to an unprecedented level of unrest in the country, this wasn’t the first instance of a former Prime Minister being arrested in Pakistan. Nearly all prime ministers in the last few decades have either been found guilty of corruption or have fallen victim to the powerful Pakistan army- the country’s deep state which holds great sway in almost every political and business sector of the country.
From Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his daughter, Benazir Bhutto to Nawaz Sharif, Yousaf Raza Gillani, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi- all imprisoned on one or the other charge.
In such pandemonium, where everything was seemingly spiralling out of control, a disinformation war also ensued. Social media was rife with both plausible and conspiracy theories.
There are many who believe that the Pakistan army-whose intervention in the country’s political affairs is no secret and which has previously staged several military coups, is conspiring to stage one more.
The claim cannot be ruled out for Pakistan observers believe that the atmosphere is conducive for the Pakistan army to take over and use the current state of unrest and chaos as justification.
The army has ruled Pakistan directly for nearly 33 years in the little over 75-year history of the country. It is also accused of undermining democratic institutions and manipulating the political process to consolidate its own power.
Sareen also said that, If the army steps in and that might be the last resort, it might happen in a couple of days, for all we know. Then the problem is what magic wand does the army have to sort these similar matters out? Are they going to shoot at people? What are theu7 going to do? How are they going to fix the economy?” this stand is especially correct especially when the people are protesting.
Imran Khan’s arrest and the subsequent outbreak of chaos coincide with the massive economic crisis the people of the country have been grappling with for the past several months.
The country is yet to recover from the trail of destruction left by the floods last year. Inflation is at an all-time high; forex reserves have depleted and the number of countries lending a helping hand is rapidly decreasing.
Tilak Devasher an author and member of the National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) said, “This is how the spiral has gone out of control in Pakistan, they have the largest contiguous irrigation network in the world. Till about two or three years ago they had surplus wheat, which they would send out today they have to import three million tonnes of wheat. You know why the acreage under wheat has been reduced they don’t have enough fertilizers they don’t have enough water.”
Even China, Pakistan’s so-called all-weather friend, has reprimanded the country for not being proactive enough in dealing with both immediate and long-term challenges. Experts believe that Pakistan’s turbulent political situation can deteriorate further if the ruling government fails to take effective action immediately.
But above all, it is imperative for Pakistan to resolve Khan’s situation, for if it is left unaddressed, it can escalate into unprecedented levels of turmoil and tumult. (ANI)
Global ratings agency Moodys’ warned that Pakistan could default in case it fails to thrash out an agreement with the IMF over the bailout package…reports Asian Lite News
The arrest and subsequent release of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan in Islamabad which has already led to violence in several parts of the country, will further dent the crumbling economy. Economic growth will slow down as the arrest may even lead to a full-blown civil war.
“Forget about the economy for now…the Shehbaz Sharif government and other authorities will now be busy fighting the political crisis…nobody will have the time for economic well-being,” observed an analyst engaged with a global ratings agency.
Global ratings agency Moodys’ warned that Pakistan could default in case it fails to thrash out an agreement with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) over the bailout package.
Just last week, China’s Foreign Minister, Qin Gang during his visit to Pakistan said that stability is the premise of development, and that the South Asian nation must focus on building political consensus and uphold the economy.
“We sincerely hope the political forces in Pakistan will build consensus, uphold stability and more effectively address domestic and external challenges so it can focus on growing the economy,” Qin said at a press briefing. While Khan has been persistent in his demand for holding early general elections, the Sharif government has been in favour of postponing the polls.
The rise in political uncertainty prompted the Chinese embassy to shut down its consular section in February. Qin is not alone.
Alfred Grannas, Germany’s Ambassador to Islamabad, recently underlined the need for “political dialogue” while focusing on “stability” and the “greater good” of the country.
Last month, Sweden, in view of the deteriorating “security situation” decided to shut down its embassy “indefinitely”.
Pakistan’s economy has taken a beating over the years due to gross mismanagement and political instability. Currently the country is in the middle of an unprecedented crises—stretching from political, security to economic. Though Pakistan has been in negotiations with the IMF for months for the $6.5 billion loan package, the two are yet to strike a deal.
The moot question now is this: Will the IMF package get further delayed amid the political crisis?
The recent events seen as a major blow to the ruling alliance which was hoping to use the arrest to bolster its political capital but found itself on the defensive again, lamenting that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party once again got preferential treatment.
It has come as a huge setback for the government and the security establishment that the Supreme Court declared Imran Khan’s arrest illegal and ordered his release, Pakistani author Zahid Hussain writes in Dawn.
The court ruling came amid violent protests sweeping the country. The public reaction to Khan’s arrest has been unprecedented. Widespread violence paralysed life in major cities. With the situation going out of control of civilian law enforcement, the army was called in. Internet and social media services were suspended. The events of the past few days have pushed the country close to anarchy, Hussain wrote.
Imran Khan had repeatedly warned of a Sri Lankan kind of mass uprising. The PTI has demonstrated its capacity to mobilise street power, but it was certainly not a spontaneous outburst of public anger. The attacks on the military installations seemed pre-planned, Hussain wrote.
“Some leaked audio tapes appear to suggest that the attack on the Lahore corps commander’s official residence was led by local PTI leaders. The organised manner in which a fortified building in a top security zone was completely gutted indicates it was not just mob action. What is most curious is that there was no move to stop the attackers as they ransacked the place. The security detail had simply disappeared,” the article said.
“But the images of people ransacking the residence of a top regional commander and attacking military installations in various parts of the country without resistance presented a picture of a fractured state. The civilian administration seemed to have completely collapsed in the face of enraged mobs”, he added.
The author said what has transpired raises questions about Shehbaz Sharif’s capacity to provide leadership in times of crisis. It’s apparent that the coalition government with its dwindling support base is now completely dependent on the security establishment for its survival. With growing political instability, the role of the military will further increase. What we are witnessing is creeping army rule, Hussain said.
“The country today is more divided than ever. It’s an extremely perilous situation for a country facing multiple crises. Most worrisome is the looming collapse of the economy. With no agreement with the IMF in sight, the prospect of default is staring us in the face. Growing political instability will make it even more difficult for the government to get any external financial support needed to bail us out,” he added.
It’s not just the economy, but also the rising terrorist threat that has imperilled national security. The questionable legitimacy of the present dispensation has rendered the situation untenable. The reckless power struggle has eroded the writ of the state. With the country in the midst of an economic meltdown amid the faltering democratic political process, the prospect of a return of despotic rule is very real, Hussain said.
The police fired tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators but to no avail as the law enforcers retreated….reports Asian Lite News
Supporters of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) headed to the army installations in many parts of the country on Tuesday as the law and order situation continued to deteriorate following the arrest of Imran Khan, media reports said.
Videos emerged on social media soon after former Prime Minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan was arrested from outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday, Samaa TV reported.
The clips showed charged PTI activists raising slogans against the government as well as the Pakistan Army, the report said.
The baton-wielding demonstrators reached inside the General Headquarters (GHQ) of the Pakistan Army in Rawalpindi, Samaa TV reported.
In other videos, they could be seen vandalising army properties in different cities, including Lahore and Karachi.
The police fired tear gas shells to disperse the demonstrators but to no avail as the law enforcers retreated.
There are reports of PTI supporters breaking into the residence of a military officer in the cantonment area in Lahore, Dawn reported.
Journalist Murtaza Ali Shah shared this information in a tweet, saying, “PTI supporters break into military officer’s house in Lahore Cantt.”
He also shared a video showing a group of men, some of them with their faces partly covered, entering a gated premises with sticks. They were later seen using the sticks to hit walls, Dawn reported.
Men in uniform could also be seen on the premise.
Meanwhile, PTI workers from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa gathered on the streets of Lakki Marwat district under the leadership of provincial party president Muhammad Iqbal after the arrest of Khan.
imran khan
The PTI supporters resorted to burning tyres and closed down the Indus Highway.
After Khan’s arrest, PTI had called for protests across Pakistan following which roads were blocked on the main thoroughfares in the major cities, including Karachi.
PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi reiterated the party’s call for “peaceful protest”, following the arrest of Khan.
In a video message shared on PTI’s Twitter habdle, Qureshi could be heard urging the people to “protest peacefully and express solidarity with PTI Chairman Imran Khan”.
Qureshi said he was leaving for Islamabad where he had called a meeting of the PTI leadership and a six-member committee to determine the next course of action, Dawn reported.
Qureshi said, “In my view, the plan to hold a series of rallies earlier announced by Imran Khan Sahib still holds. We have to convert them into rallies of peaceful protests.”
He said, “The Rangers did not break the windows, they were broken during the chaotic situation.”…reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, while denying reports of Rangers personnel torturing Imran Khan during his arrest, said that “no sort of torture was inflicted on him,” reported Geo News.
The senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, took to Twitter, and said, “Imran Khan did not ensure his appearance despite several notices. The National Accountability Bureau (NAB) arrested him for causing damage to the natural treasury.”
“No sort of torture was inflicted on him (Khan),” Sanaullah wrote on his Twitter.
While speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Sanaullah said that no person was subjected to torture at the time of the deposed PM Khan’s arrest, adding that the PTI chief’s security personnel had inflicted violence, according to Geo News.
He said, “The Rangers did not break the windows, they were broken during the chaotic situation.”
Sanaullah, while speaking on the arrest, said that Khan was taken into custody as per the law. “NAB is an independent institution and the government has neither its control over it nor did it try to.”
He claimed that the NAB was conducting an inquiry against the former prime minister. Imran “It was necessary to investigate Imran Khan on NAB’s notice and that it was not a political victimisation against him.” The PTI Chairman attempted to resist arrest, according to the security czar, and the party lawyers impeded the judicial process.
Sanaullah claimed that Khan was prosecuting his political rivals for corruption while also engaging in wrongdoing himself, as per Geo News. After the arrest of former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday, his barrister Ali Gohar alleged that Khan was beaten and sustained injuries and he (Gohar) too was tortured. Gohar also said that the former PM was kicked by the Rangers on his leg which was injured by a bullet earlier and he was even pepper-sprayed.
“Imran Khan’s lawyer badly injured inside the premises of IHC. Black day for our democracy and country,” tweeted PTI.
Imran Khan’s lawyer badly injured inside the premises of IHC. Black day for our democracy and country. pic.twitter.com/iQ8xWsXln7
He further said, “Rangers broke through the glass and entered the diary branch,” adding that the Rangers personnel broke IHC’s main gate before ransacking the IHC office.
Meanwhile, the PTI has denounced the arrest of the party chairman calling it an “abduction” by the law enforcement agency, National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and appealed to the supporters and workers to stage protests across the country.
The former PM’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has also released several videos on Twitter claiming that Khan was manhandled, pushed and detained in a fascist move.
The PTI chief was arrested as part of NAB’s investigation in the Al-Qadir Trust case before his appearance before the Islamabad High Court to seek bail in multiple FIRs registered against him, Geo News reported.
Rangers took Imran Khan away to NAB Rawalpindi in a black Toyota Hilux Vigo.
Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who Rangers arrested from outside Islamabad High Court, had said earlier in the day that the Shehbaz Sharif government wants to put him in jail and he is ready for it. (ANI)
Islamabad, Mar 15 (ANI): (File Picture) Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan gave an interview with Al Jazeera amid the showdown between PTI supporters and the police over his likely arrest in the Toshakhana case. (ANI Photo)
He proposed giving loans to young people to start businesses and reviving the mortgage scheme, which the PTI government introduced for the first time in Pakistan’s history…reports Asian Lite News
Former Pakistan Prime Minister and Pakistan Tehreeek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan on Saturday presented his party’s roadmap to revamp governance and increase exports thus paving the way for country’s economic prosperity, Pakistan based The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Khan was addressing a public rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan despite a threat alert issued by the interim Punjab government. Khan said that the country needs difficult decisions to be made to revamp governance and increase exports.
Khan during his speech pointed out that Pakistan doesn’t collect sufficient taxes, resulting in an outflow of dollars that exceeds the inflow. He said that if exports increase, the inflow of dollars would also increase. He also urged the need for a complete revamp of governance to achieve economic prosperity.
The PTI chief said that a “surgery” was needed in Pakistan to put the house in order, and if that were done, overseas Pakistanis would bring their dollars to the country. He suggested incentivising overseas Pakistanis to invest and proposed VIP status for exporters.
According to The Express Tribune, Khan highlighted the IT and tourism sectors’ growth during his party’s tenure and emphasised increasing productivity in the agriculture sector. He also proposed restructuring all government corporations, including Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
As per Khan, only 2.5 million Pakistanis out of 220 million people pay taxes. He talked about the need to increase the tax base to achieve progress, and PTI collected record taxes during its tenure. Khan also said that the PTI government introduced health cards, which the current government has stopped, but his party would revive the initiative.
He proposed giving loans to young people to start businesses and reviving the mortgage scheme, which the PTI government introduced for the first time in Pakistan’s history.
The former prime minister said the PTI’s focus is to target poor people and provide them with ration, a program that Sania Nishtar had introduced, according to The Express Tribune.
Earlier on Saturday, Khan urged his supporters not to back off “under any circumstance” and said that “reaction” to the “atrocities done to the PTI” would come from the public at the party’s Minar-e-Pakistan rally tonight amid a “threat alert” issued by the interim Punjab government, Pakistan based Dawn newspaper reported.
In the alert, the Punjab government said that terrorists carrying explosive material have reached Lahore and will either target political rallies or law enforcers deployed for the security of those events.
The government placed containers on the way leading to Minar-e-Pakistan, leading to hurdles for people seeking to partake in the jalsa.
The PTI chief claimed that when he came into power in 2018, he had inherited a fragile economy but had turned it around, only to see his work undone by the present setup.
Prior to the PTI rally, internet outage was reported in Lahore’s Gulberg, Minar-e-Pakistan, Data Darbar, Lari Adda and nearby areas.
PTI also shared footage through party’s Twitter handle showing party workers and supporters had packed the venue in anticipation of Imran, who reached Minar-e-Pakistan a little before midnight. (ANI)
Interestingly, Khan, who continuously blamed the US for removing him from the PM post, had taken a U-turn from his statements…reports Asian Lite News
After alleging that the United States was involved in the ‘conspiracy’ of ousting Imran Khan from the Prime Minister post, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief gave a clean chit to America and, instead, blamed former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa for removing him, the Dawn reported.
Khan, who was ousted from his post in April last year, took swipes at Bajwa saying that the former army chief had told the US that PTI Chief is an anti-American. He made these remarks during an interview with US-based international radio broadcaster, Voice of America, aired on Saturday, and a separate televised address on Sunday, according to Dawn.
“Whatever happened, now as things unfold, it wasn’t the US who told Pakistan [to oust me]. It was unfortunately, from what evidence has come up, [former army chief] Gen [Qamar Javed] Bajwa who somehow managed to tell the Americans that I was anti-American. And so, it [the plan to oust me] wasn’t imported from there. It was exported from here to there,” Khan told VoA.
Interestingly, Khan, who continuously blamed the US for removing him from the PM post, had taken a U-turn from his statements.
Meanwhile, in his televised address, Imran Khan termed Gen Bajwa, who retired in November last year, ‘super king’, admitting that his three-and-a-half-year stint in the Prime Minister’s Office was more like of a puppet.
“Gen Bajwa had become an expert in everything, including economy, politics, and foreign policy,” Khan alleged.
“Gen Bajwa used to get the credit for good decisions and Imran Khan used to serve as a punching bag for every wrong decision,” Khan claimed, alleging that the former army chief was responsible for the “political and economic ills” faced by the country today.
He also slammed General Bajwa for hampering the process of accountability and claimed that the former army chief had already decided that there won’t be any questions from PM Shehbaz Sharif.
“No accountability was held thereafter,” he said, claiming that the former army chief had also acknowledged this in an interview with a columnist, reported Dawn.
“If Bajwa could be criticized or held accountable for his actions, he would not have been able to damage the country to such an extent,” he added.
In his televised address, the former PM stressed his demand for the elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa following the dissolution of provincial Assemblies. He believed that only fresh elections could drive Pakistan out of the current economic and political mess.
According to the PTI chief, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and the incumbent caretaker government were duty-bound to hold general elections in Punjab and KP within 90 days of the dissolution of the assemblies. “On the 91st day, the caretaker governments will cease to have constitutional cover,” he said, asking the bureaucrats and police officers to disobey the ‘unconstitutional caretaker government’ after the end of its three-month timeframe.
Khan alleged that the Sharifs and Zardaris were afraid of elections as they first wanted to create a “level-playing field” by disqualifying him from contesting elections and then putting him in jail along with his party leadership, as per the report in Dawn.
“The ruling coalition in the federal government is afraid of one person and one party, which is Imran Khan and PTI, and wants to block us to get their NRO given to them by Gen Bajwa,” he alleged.
The former premier also went after the ECP and said the electoral watchdog was taking decisions on the “instructions of PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif”. (ANI)
Security beefed up at Imran's Lahore residence amid threats
Check-posts have also been set up at the entry and exit points of Zaman Park, while more security cameras have been installed to ensure safety…reports Asian Lite News
In view of security concerns for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, a security wall has been constructed outside his Lahore residence, a media report said.
According to Express Tribune, security was enhanced outside the former Prime Minister’s residence in Lahore’s Zaman Park area after a security alert was issued by the Special Branch.
Check-posts have also been set up at the entry and exit points of Zaman Park, while more security cameras have been installed to ensure safety, the report said.
A special desk has also been set up to keep a record of people visiting the former premier’s residence. Authorities have posted women police officers for checking at the entry points.
Meanwhile, Capital City Police Officer (CCPO) of Lahore, Ghulam Muhammad Dogar, visited Zaman Park and reviewed the security arrangements.
Advisor to Punjab’s Chief Minister on home affairs, Omar Sarfraz Cheema, also reached Zaman Park and said that according to the latest reports, the PTI chief is facing security threats for which his security is being increased.
Cheema added that federal government agencies were not included in the joint investigation team (JIT) formed to probe the Wazirabad attack on Khan because the latter has doubts about their heads.
President Arif Alvi is expected to arrive at Zaman Park on Friday to meet the PTI chief, Express Tribune reported.
The letter written by Khan to the President is expected to be considered during the meeting.
He indicated that he received the information of this plot through the relationships he had formed while in power…reports Asian Lite News
PTI Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that four people plotted to kill him, stating that the “handlers” were taking the decisions at the back but the people were turning out to his rallies in record numbers, a media report said.
“Four people plotted to kill me. I made a video and named those people and have stashed it abroad,” Khan said, adding that it would be released in case something happens, Dawn reported.
He indicated that he received the information of this plot through the relationships he had formed while in power.
In his first address since the assassination attempt on him in Gujranwala on Thursday, in which Khan sustained bullet injuries in his leg, the PTI chief stated that he was aware of the plot to kill him.
“I’ll come to the details of the attack later. I got to know the day before [the attack] that either in Wazirabad of Gujrat, they planned to kill me,” he said, Dawn reported.
The former Prime Minister said that Pakistan’s own agencies were not allowing democratic processes to continue.
“During the by-elections in July, all the state machinery was used, rigging was done, but PTI swept the elections. What happened next was that more pressure and threats were given. A handler came to Islamabad — Major General Faisal — and he said that he will show how to straighten them [PTI] out,” Khan alleged, Dawn reported.
“More strictness started on media and journalists favouring PTI. Our MPAs were approached, scared and threatened to abandon me… they threatened to release inappropriate videos and blackmailed them.”
Khan said that his party wasn’t “made by the establishment” like the PPP and the PML-N, asserting that he came to power with the people’s support, Dawn reported.
“The way the people supported me, I was surprised… we announced a long march on May 25. They staged three marches during our tenure. We thought the law and Constitution permitted us [to stage a protest].
“We thought they would give us permission because we have given them permission, he said. But instead they subjected our workers and leaders to violence.
“They shelled families in Islamabad… they thought the party would end but they didn’t understand the [sentiments of the] nation because when decisions are made in closed rooms, you don’t know what is happening,” Khan said.
The TTP had been running riot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bolstered by the presence of a large number of senior functionaries who were released from prison after the Taliban swept into power in Kabul on August 15 last year…reports Asian Lite News
In Pakistan, a frontline state on the gates of Central and West Asia, the stage is set for a massive purge that targets former Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Over the years the former premier had developed powerful nodes of influence in the military, radical Islamist organisations, the media and within civilian state institutions as well as an influential section of the civil society.
Over the past few days, a focused effort seems to have been launched by a hybrid-combination of the top military brass, personally led by the Army Chief, Qamar Javed Bajwa, and the new government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to weed out pro-Imran loyalists from the system.
On Monday, the first clear sign of the purge came when Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, known to be close to Khan, was removed as commander of the Peshawar based XI corps and shifted to Bahawalpur. This was Gen. Hameed’s second major transfer. He was earlier removed as the chief of the powerful Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-a position that Khan wanted him to occupy. Gen. Hamid was moved to Peshawar. But he was still tasked with a major responsibility-of conducting a dialogue, through tribal intermediaries and the Afghan Taliban, with the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) or the Pakistan Taliban.
The TTP had been running riot in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, bolstered by the presence of a large number of senior functionaries who were released from prison after the Taliban swept into power in Kabul on August 15 last year.
Hameed’s transfer coincided with a massive IED blast that killed TTP’s top four leaders on Sunday, including top gun Maulvi Omar Khalid Khorasani. Seemingly, all bridges for the continuation of a dialogue have been burnt with the strike, and Gen. Hameed’s role in peace talks has been, in all likelihood, terminated.
Known for his hatred towards Christians, Khorasani was on the drone list of the Americans, who had already offered a $3 million dead or alive reward on his head.
After Hameed’s transfer the anti-Imran purge had been further energised. On Tuesday, Khan’s trusted Lieutenant Shahbaz Gill was arrested and charged with sedition. If the charges are proven, he could face the death penalty-a prospect that is bound to sow fear among Khan’s senior supporters belonging to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party that the former premier heads.
The knives are out for Gill because he virtually called for a revolt within the army establishment during a discussion programme on the pro-Imran ARY television channel.
It can now be expected that the trail of Gill’s investigation will tighten the noose around Khan, making him the mastermind of the “seditious” remarks. “The comments were according to the script prepared under the supervision of PTI Chairperson Imran Khan which was carried forward by former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and Gill,” the interior minister Rana Sanaullah said, during a press conference.
The ongoing purge is likely to have at least three major consequences. First, the marginalisation of Khan and the PTI is likely to generate a power vacuum which can be expected to be filled by the anti-Khan camp-a process that could be capped with the arrival from London of the in-exile former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, underwritten by a pruned military that has been shaped by Gen. Bajwa.
Second, with a dominantly pro-west dispensation in power, US influence in Pakistan is bound to increase. The military is expected to back the shift, as Gen. Bajwa enjoys excellent ties with the West. In fact, Pak media reports suggest that on Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s insistence, Gen. Bajwa called the US Deputy Secretary State Wendy Sherman, requesting her to facilitate the early release of the $1.2 billion first instalment of an IMF loan that a cash strapped Pakistan badly needs. Besides, three days before the terror kingpin Ayman Al Zawahiri was shredded by a hellfire missile in Kabul on July 31, Gen. Bajwa was on the phone with US Central Command Chief General Michael Erik Kurilla, leading to speculation that the Pak military had coordinated with the Americans the fatal drone strike.
Third, the purge is bad news for the Chinese whose CPEC projects are likely to suffer, especially as the IMF is likely to scrutinise the project details, pick holes in them, before parting with its loans. Already, News International website is reporting that the China-built Dasu hydropower project’s stage -1 with the capacity to generate 2160 MW hydel electricity has been delayed by three years, resulting in cost overrun of Rs 100 billion.
(The content is being carried under an arrangement with indianarrative.com)
