RAWALPINDI: Jailed former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Tuesday that his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was willing to engage in talks with the military establishment.
Khan, who has been in detention for nearly a year, stated, “We are ready to hold talks with the military. The army should nominate their representative for negotiations.” He said this during his appearance in a court established at Adial Jail, where he is currently incarcerated.
Despite his criticisms of the armed forces, Khan said that PTI had never accused the military but had only voiced criticism. He also said that any PTI member found guilty of participating in the May 9, 2023, riots should face appropriate punishment.
Khan accused the current government of attempting to destroy PTI by creating a rift between the party and the military. When questioned about his preference for talks with the military over political parties, Khan criticized Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi.
He declared he would not negotiate with Naqvi, whom he accused of oppressing his party along with the Punjab Inspector General (IG). Khan also labeled Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz as “fascist,” citing recent arrests of PTI leadership in Punjab.
In his statement, Khan claimed that his arrest last year was akin to abduction, and he demanded that Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq recuse himself from his cases. He called for his cases to be reassigned to other judges.
PML-N leader and Punjab senior minister Marriyum Aurangzeb criticized Khan’s shift from a stance of refusing pardon to seeking dialogue, questioning the purpose of his proposed talks with the military. Aurangzeb also condemned Khan’s “fascist” remarks against the Punjab CM, accusing Khan of being a fascist himself for his actions while in power.
Punjab Information Minister Azma Bokhari labeled Khan a “fascist ruler,” pointing out that he had previously imprisoned over 100 PML-N leaders. Bokhari accused Khan of shifting blame for his “failed rebellion” and anti-Pakistan conspiracies onto CM Maryam.
The statements come a day after Khan confirmed his earlier directive for a peaceful protest outside the military’s General Headquarters (GHQ) before his arrest. PTI refuted media reports about this admission, claiming that Khan did not say what was reported.
Khan also revised his previous statement on neutrality, clarifying that he referred to the army as “non-partisan” rather than “animals” during a 2022 rally.
Legal Challenges Faced by Khan
The 71-year-old PTI founding chairman has been imprisoned at Adiala Jail for nearly a year following convictions in four cases: two Toshakhana references, the cipher case, and the Iddat case, where his wife Bushra Bibi is also detained.
Despite numerous acquittals in all these cases, Imran Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi remain in detention in a fresh Toshakhana case on new charges related to the sale of state gifts.
