Incumbent govt won't last more than five months: Imran Khan

Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan predicted on Wednesday that the incumbent government led by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) would not last more than four to five months as even its major coalition partner, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), showed lack of confidence in it by not joining the federal cabinet.

“The establishment, caretaker government, and the Election Commission are all one and everything is based on lies,” the former prime minister said while speaking to journalists in Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail on Wednesday.

Terming Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikander Sultan Raja a “liar,” Khan said the CEC is still occupying the office despite five reports issued by election watchdogs on election irregularities

Predicting political, and economic scenario, he claimed that the new government would not last more than five to six months, whereas, a fresh wave of inflation would hit the country after signing new bailout package with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

The ousted premier, who was removed from power via a parliamentary vote in April 2022, also said that he is mentally prepared to stay behind bars in four to five months.

Regarding strain ties with the establishment, he responded to a question, saying: “Attempts are under way to create differences between us and army.”

To another question, Khan said that his party would invite all political parties who fell victim of “election rigging” to PTI’s upcoming public meeting scheduled for March 23.

The former prime minister detailed that his party would also invite Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman to the forthcoming power show regardless of whether he accepts the invitation or not.

Commenting on a meeting between the prime minister and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister, the PTI founder said that Ali Amin Gandapur should have appeared in photo with PM Shehbaz Sharif after receiving funds [for the uplift of the province].

He also rejected any complaints towards Dr Arif Alvi, saying that Alvi did his best to resolve several issues during his presidential tenure.

Khan, who ruled the country from 2018 to 2022 before being ousted from the prime minister’s office, also spoke on recent spike in terrorist attacks. He urged maintaining good ties with the Afghanistan government regardless of who is ruling the neighbouring country.

He also took credit on behalf of his party, which came into power in 2018, for facilitating peace dialogues between the Taliban and the United States to end war which continued for nearly two decades.

Khan added that the Afghan government had assured Pakistan to resolve key issue of outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) during the PTI government.