Former PM Imran Khan slams Pakistan Army for leaping into politics

By Press Trust of India: Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan hit out on the nation’s extremely efficient navy in his first deal with after an Islamabad courtroom set him free, saying it should be ashamed of leaping into politics and can kind its private political social gathering.

Addressing the nation from his Lahore dwelling on Saturday, Khan took sturdy exception to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) allegations in direction of him and acknowledged the spokesperson of the navy’s military wing was not even born when he represented Pakistan on this planet.

“I kept Pakistan’s flag high world over. Never has ISPR made such a statement. You should be ashamed of yourself. You have jumped into politics. Why don’t you make a political party,” Khan said in an hour-long maiden speech after the Islamabad High Court gave him blanket relief in all 145 cases registered against him.

His remarks came in response to ISPR Director-General Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s statement in which he called Khan a “hypocrite”.

“Listen to me Mr DG ISPRâ€æyou were not even born when I was representing my country in the world and earning a good name for it. You need to be ashamed of yourself for calling me a hypocrite and anti-Army,” he acknowledged in a harsh rejoinder.

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A triumphant Khan returned to his Zaman Park dwelling in Lahore on Saturday after having locked himself throughout the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises for hours for fear of re-arrest no matter being granted bail on Friday.

Before leaving for Lahore, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief hit out on the “imported government for kidnapping” him whatever the IHC granting him bail in all circumstances.

The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief moreover tore into Pakistan’s Army chief General Asim Munir and blamed him for his “abduction” after a courtroom set him free.

In a major discount to Khan, the Islamabad High Court on Friday granted him defending bail for two weeks in a corruption case and barred the authorities from arresting the earlier Pakistan prime minister in any case registered wherever throughout the nation until Monday.

During Khan’s deal with, video clips had been confirmed of how navy vans dropped ‘unidentified’ plainclothesmen, who joined PTI protesters and provoked them to unleash violence and ransack public property.

Khan distanced himself from violent protests that erupted throughout the wake of his arrest on Tuesday from IHC premises by Pakistan Rangers, asserting that “violence and vandalism is not my philosophy”.

Khan’s arrest triggered unrest in Pakistan that continued till Friday and led to a variety of deaths and dozens of military and state installations being destroyed by the protesters.

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For the first time in Pakistan’s historic previous, the protesters stormed the navy headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and likewise torched a corps commander’s residence in Lahore.

Police put the demise toll in violent clashes to 10 whereas Khan’s social gathering claims 40 of its workers misplaced their lives throughout the firing by security personnel.

“They have put the entire leadership of PTI in jails and arrested over 3,500 workers and instituted more cases against me after the attack on the state buildings by unknown persons,” Khan acknowledged.

“The government parties do not want the elections because they know they will be completely wiped out. That is why they planned this conspiracy (attack on military installations) and ran away from elections,” he acknowledged.

“Such actions have dire consequences. Although you (the Army) will not listen to me, I advise you to think big. You should see where the country is heading by such actions,” he acknowledged.

Khan demanded an investigation into the protests and vandalism following his arrest by an unbiased panel to be constituted by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.

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“I know, who wants to create anarchy in the country and take benefit of the tense situation,” he was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.

Khan acknowledged the judiciary was the one hope for Pakistan.

He acknowledged there was unprecedented media administration by the ‘handlers’ who had moreover imposed a ban on social media to curb free speech.

He appealed to the journalists to take heed to their conscience and by no means fear the military establishment.