Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan He asked the powerful establishment not to use “political engine” in the general election later this year because he stated that his PTI is only party capable of pulling the cash-strapped country from the current economic crisis.
Addressing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party’s women convention in Karachi via video link from his Zaman Park residence in Lahore on Sunday, the cricketer-turned-politician once again blamed former Army chief Gen (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa for his ouster as well as the current political and economic crisis facing Pakistan.
Khan expressed his concern about political manipulation in the next general elections that would weaken his party. He urged the powerful establishment not to make such a mistake.
“The military establishment has not learnt anything from its mistakes in the past as political engineering is being done to hurt my party for future elections,” he stated.
He claimed that the military establishment was involved, in Karachi, in trying to unite various factions of Muttahida Qaumi Movements (MQM), and sending Balochistan-Awami Party (BAP), leaders from south Punjab into Pakistan Peoples Party. This was because it feared for his political strength.
The politician aged 70 also accused the establishment in trying to bring Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, or PML-N, to power.
Khan stated that the establishment had already caused so much damage to the nation… but it was not ready to learn from the past.” Khan has so far been cautious about new army chief Gen Asim Mubarak and his policies. He preferred to believe that Gen Munir’s military would remain neutral.
Continue his tirade against Gen. (retd.) Khan called Gen (retd.), Bajwa “responsible” for the crisis in Pakistan.
“This man caused Pakistan to spiral into crisis. Before April’s ouster, I had informed him that it would not be in the national interest to weaken the PTI Government. Bajwa has ruined Pakistan’s political, economic, and social gains,” Khan said. He added that only free and fair elections could lead the country out of this crisis.
Khan was at war with Bajwa since April, when he was ousted from power by a motion of no confidence.
Khan accused Bajwa, last month, of playing a “double-game” against his government. Khan also stated that he had made a “big error” in extending the tenure to then-military chief in 2019.
Gen Bajwa, aged 61, was granted a three-year extension by Khan in 2019, which was the largest criticism of the Pakistan Army.
The powerful Army has ruled the coup-prone nation for more than half its 75+ year existence. This has given it considerable power in foreign and security policy matters.
Khan is the only Pakistani prime Minister to be ousted in a No-confidence vote in Parliament. Khan claimed that the US conspired to remove him from office because of his independent foreign policies on Russia, China, Afghanistan. The US denied these allegations.