Adiala Jail: Imran Khan, the founding chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has reiterated and clarified his call for a peaceful protest outside the General Headquarters (GHQ) during an informal conversation with journalists on Monday. Khan stood by his statement, emphasizing that his call for protest was made prior to the events of May 9 and intended to be peaceful.
“”My statement regarding the protest outside GHQ was misinterpreted as a crime connected to May 9.”. I have mentioned it multiple times in vlogs and police investigations,” Khan stated. He alleged that there were plans to assassinate him outside the Judicial Complex on March 18 and claimed to have evidence of this. “I instructed the party to hold a peaceful protest outside GHQ and cantonments if the army and Rangers arrested me,” he added.
Addressing the violence on May 9, Khan remarked, “The protest wasn’t peaceful because it was pre-planned. CCTV footage has not been released because it would prove our innocence, as our people are not in it.” Khan announced his intention to go to court over the missing CCTV footage and to file a case against Rangers for his Assumed abduction from the High Court . He also add that who ordered his arrest and who instructed the attack on the chairman.
Khan criticized the government’s crackdown on social media, highlighting the arrest of 75-year-old cancer patient Raof Hasan. He called for a judicial commission to guarantee a clear investigation. Khan requested, “The government fears PTI and wants to pull to pieces it through the military,” complaining the recent budget and affirming that it had discolored the government’s credibility.
Defending social media as the voice of the democratic public, Khan urged against labeling it as ‘digital terrorism’. “Without oversight, institutions will be destroyed” he warned. When reminded of his own laws penalizing criticism of the military during his tenure, Khan distinguished between criticism and defamation, asserting that no journalists had fled or been killed under his government. He acknowledged that even former president Pervez Musharraf’s era was more liberal.
Khan emphasized that all institutions, including national security agencies, must be open to scrutiny. He pointed out the support judges receive on social media for their rulings in favor of PTI. He underscored that the military belongs to Pakistan and not to any political party, warning that its alignment with the current government could jeopardize its credibility, the economy, and democracy.
In response to another question, Khan blamed the establishment for obstructing PTI in the elections and facilitating the swift dismissal of corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif. Regarding future protests, Khan announced a major rally in Swabi on August 5, positioning it as a demonstration of PTI’s public power and a strategic move to avoid unrest.
