Real conspiracy against PTI on May 9: Imran

ISLAMABAD – Former Prime Minister and founder of the Pakistan Movement for Justice (PTI) Imran Khan on Saturday said he was not intimidated by the arrest of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt. General (retd) Faiz Hameed.

Speaking informally to reporters at Adiala Jail, Khan said if he was afraid, he would not have demanded the formation of a judicial commission to investigate the allegations. On the allegations that Lt. Gen. (retd) Faiz Hameed was involved in the May 9 conspiracy, Khan said the real conspiracy was against the PTI.

He demanded an investigation into who ordered his arrest on May 9. He alleged that there were two major conspiracies: the sacking of Lt. Gen. (retd) Faiz Hameed by Gen. (retd) Bajwa at the behest of Nawaz Sharif and the employment of Hussain Haqqani as a lobbyist against the PTI in America. He also highlighted the alleged involvement of US official Donald Lu and alleged attempts to undermine the PTI government.

The PTI founder demanded a speedy judicial inquiry into the May 9 events and urged that the video footage be released to clarify the facts. He accused the establishment of obstructing the investigation and claimed that the case could be cleared within an hour if the evidence was considered. He also defended his wife Bushra Bibi against allegations related to the May 9 incidents and condemned the establishment for “causing” national unrest. He said he had asked the Chief Justice to investigate the May 9 incidents but, he added, the charges were against the party leadership. Khan felt that the establishment was pushing the country towards disaster and asked the establishment to reconsider its actions.

In the February 8 elections, Khan accused the government of stealing the PTI's mandate and demanded an investigation into what he said was electoral fraud. He was concerned about the actions of the judiciary, including the remarks of Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa, claiming they were politically motivated and part of his efforts to get an extension. He said the Chief Justice was supporting the Chief Election Commissioner in his misdeeds and covering up the electoral fraud. He said the Chief Justice was working on an agenda and trying to get an extension. He said the NAB had initiated the ₹190 million case on the orders of Qazi Faez Isa.

Referring to the reserved seats, Khan said that the government was desecrating the Constitution, adding that two assassination attempts had been made against him; one in Wazirabad and the other in the Islamabad Judicial Complex. He demanded an inquiry to ascertain the facts related to his arrest and the May 9 incidents. He said that jammers had been installed around his room, adding that mobile phones were not working nearby.

Khan criticised former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for saying that PTI ruined the economy, adding that he should have looked at Pakistan's economic report before making this statement. He pointed out that the previous government had left a deficit of $19.5 billion, which necessitated PTI's involvement with the IMF.

The former prime minister said that the restrictions on media and social media have hurt the country economically compared to India's IT export successes. He also criticised the alleged manipulation of institutions like police, NAB and FIA for political purposes. He noted that despite the restrictions, he was still able to communicate with party leaders and convey messages through legal channels.

To a question, Khan said he had met party chief Sher Afzal Marwat. Regarding internal party disputes, he said he had advised party members to resolve anti-corruption issues through the designated committee instead of making them unnecessarily public. He also praised the committee members for their impartiality. Khan also confirmed that he had instructed Zulfi Bukhari to submit his nomination papers for the election of the Vice-Chancellor of Oxford University.

Sharp-tongued PTI politician Sher Afzal Marwat on Saturday announced that he had resolved his differences with the party leadership after meeting jailed party founder Imran Khan.

“I met Imran Khan today after three months,” Marwat told reporters outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. He added: “I shook his hand and the PTI founder hugged me. There was an exchange of grievances from both sides.”

The PTI MP in the National Assembly, who had been engaged in heated verbal exchanges with other party leaders for several months, said he had put aside his differences with the party on Khan's instructions and assurances.

The politician, who faced dismissal from his party membership earlier this month for violating party discipline, said only the PTI founder could dismiss him from the party. Marwat also apologised for his comments against the PTI leadership.

The fiery PTI politician outlined his future strategy and said he had been given the responsibility to start preparations for the August 22 show of force.

He added that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan had sent a clear message that differences within the party should not resurface and all party leaders were now united.

The outspoken politician from the controversial former ruling party has faced the wrath of his party colleagues on several occasions after making blunt and controversial remarks against them and on other issues. Earlier this year, Marwat landed in trouble after he claimed that Saudi Arabia was also allegedly involved in the ouster of the Khan-led government in 2022. The top leadership of the former ruling party not only distanced itself from Marwat's statement about Riyadh but also served summons to the beleaguered senior PTI leader.