Long March - Central News Hub

Imran begins long march with guns targeting spy chief

Seeking the attention of army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the former Prime Minister said ISI chief and other intelligence officers were tarnishing the image of the institution.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has kicked off his much-awaited ‘Haqeeqi Azadi’ march towards Islamabad with a no-holds-barred speech targeting the countrys premier spy chief and other intelligence officers.

Addressing from atop a container at the starting point of the march, the Liberty Roundabout, Khan incriminated the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) director general (DG) for holding a “political presser”, and called out two other army officers for playing the role of “Dirty Harry” for picking up and torturing a party senator, Dawn news reported.

Seeking the attention of army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa, the former Prime Minister said these officers were tarnishing the image of the institution.

On Thursday, in an unprecedented appearance at a media conference by a spy chief, ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum spoke alongside armed forces’ spokesman Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar.

(Photo Twitter_screengrab)

The officers alleged their leadership was being maligned for refusing to help the former premier through “illegal and extra-constitutional means” ahead of a confidence vote in parliament earlier this year and that Khan attempted to entice the army chief with an “indefinite extension” in a last-ditch attempt to save his government, Dawn reported.

Khan began his speech on Friday by castigating the ISI DG for claiming his organisation was apolitical and neutral.

He said the spy chief actually delivered a “political presser” and conveniently ignored any reference to the “group of thieves” that got its Rs1.1 trillion theft written off.

“I haven’t even heard (former interior minister) Sheikh Rashid conducting such a candid political news conference,” he quipped.

The former premier warned Gen Anjum that he also held many secrets, but was staying mum for the interests of the country and state institutions, Dawn reported.

(Photo Twitter@Hammad_Azhar)

“I am not like the absconder Nawaz Sharif that I will run away to London and then spew venom against the army,” he remarked, maintaining he had always done constructive criticism against the army and other state institutions because he wanted to see Pakistan an independent and sovereign state.

He also took on ISI DG-C Maj Gen Faisal Naseer and Islamabad Sector Commander Faheem Raza for allegedly picking up the party’s septuagenarian senator, Azam Swati, and torturing him.

The former premier further accused the officers of torturing party leader Dr Shahbaz Gill and journalist Jameel Farooqi.

ALSO READ: Rare ISI presser demolishes Imran’s narrative

Is Pak military behind surprise end to Imran’s march?

Former Pakistan National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi candidly admits that he too agrees with this, reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan’s surprise decision about not going ahead with the sit-in at the end of the long march left almost everyone baffled, foes and allies alike, but there is convergence on one thing, the manner in which it all ended, at least for now, carried clear indications of who made it happen, a media report said.

The general perception, though most shy away from saying that openly, is that the military had to ultimately play its role to prevent things from getting out of control, the Dawn news report said.

Former Pakistan National Security Adviser retired Lt Gen Naeem Khalid Lodhi candidly admits that he too agrees with this.

“There is a strong possibility of positive interference by the military to prevent chaos and seek a return of semblance of political stability so that the process for resuscitating the economy could begin.”

Another retired general, on the condition of anonymity, said there was a realisation in the top brass that no one at the helm of affairs would be able to escape responsibility if matters were to go in a wrong direction, Dawn reported.

The biggest challenge for the military, a source claimed, was to open up communication channels with Khan, especially in view of their frayed relations. But, as the former Prime Minister proceeded with the long march plans, a sense of urgency was felt everywhere and multiple channels were employed to bring him around, Dawn news reported.

The source said those who acted as a go-between included a former chief justice, a leading businessman, and a retired general.

“It was not an easy task given Imran Khan’s obstinacy and the fact that he had invested a lot of effort into it,” the source privy to the negotiations said.

Though the source did not share the chronology of the negotiations, it appeared from the discussion that they continued late into Wednesday night and probably into the early hours of Thursday.

ALSO READ: ‘Your dictation won’t work’: Shehbaz tells Imran