Former Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan slammed the country’s powerful army in his first speech after a court in Islamabad set him free, saying he should be ashamed of jumping into politics and could form his own political party.
Addressing the nation from his lahore house on saturday, khan took strong exception to the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) allegations against him and said that the spokesperson of the military wing of the army was not even born when he represented Pakistan to the world.
“I kept the flag of Pakistan high all over the world. Never ISPR has made such a statement. You should be ashamed of yourself. You have thrown yourself into politics. Why don’t you make a [political] party, Khan said in an hour-long inaugural address after the Islamabad High Court granted blanket relief in the 145 cases registered against him.
His remarks came in response to ISPR Director General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s statement calling Khan a “hypocrite”. “Listen to me Mr DG ISPR…you were not even born when I was representing my country to the world and earning a good name for myself. You should be ashamed of yourself for calling me a hypocrite and anti-army,” he said in a harsh reply.
A triumphant Khan returned to his Zaman Park home in Lahore on Saturday after locking himself inside the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises for hours fearing re-arrest even though on Friday they were granted bail.
Before leaving for Lahore, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief lashed out at the “imported government to kidnap him” despite the IHC granting him bail in all cases.
The 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief also attacked Pakistan Army Chief General Asim Munir, blaming him for his “kidnapping” after a court set him free.
In a huge relief for Khan, the Islamabad High Court on Friday granted him protection bond for two weeks in a corruption case and barred authorities from arresting the former Pakistani prime minister in any case registered anywhere in the country until Monday.
During Khan’s speech, video clips were shown of army trucks dropping off “unidentified” plainclothes men, who joined PTI protesters, prompting them to unleash violence and loot public property. Khan distanced himself violent protests that erupted following his arrest on Tuesday from the IHC premises by Pakistan Rangers, stating that “violence and vandalism are not my philosophy”.
Khan’s arrest sparked unrest in Pakistan that continued into Friday, resulting in several deaths and dozens of military and state facilities destroyed by protesters. For the first time in Pakistan’s history, protesters stormed the army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and also set fire to the house of a corps commander in Lahore.
Police put the death toll in violent clashes at 10, while Khan’s party claims 40 of its workers lost their lives in the sacking of security personnel.
“They have put the entire PTI leadership in jails and arrested more than 3,500 workers and started more cases against me after the attack on state buildings by unknown persons,” Khan said.
“The governing parties do not want the elections because they know they will be completely wiped out. That’s why they planned this conspiracy (attack on military installations) and ran away from the elections,” he said.
“These actions have dire consequences. Even if you (the Army) won’t listen to me, I advise you to think big. You should see where the country is headed with these actions,” he said.
Khan demanded an inquiry into the protests and vandalism following his arrest by an independent panel to be constituted by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial. “I know, who wants to create anarchy in the country and take advantage of the tense situation,” the Dawn newspaper said.
Khan said the judiciary was the only hope for Pakistan.
He said there has been unprecedented media control by the ‘handlers’ who had also imposed a ban on social media to curb freedom of expression. He has appealed to journalists to listen to their conscience and not be afraid of the military establishment.
