Imran endorses statement of army top brass on May 9 probe

RAWALPINDI: Incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan endorsed a recent statement issued by the Pakistan Army’s top brass in connection with the probe into the May 9 violent attacks and said his party was not against the military.

During an informal interaction with journalists at the Adiala jail in Rawalpindi, the former prime minister said: “I endorse the declaration of the CCC. Suspects involved in May 9 incidents should be punished severely.” Stressing the need for a thorough interrogation into the violent attacks, Khan said that a commission should be formed on the May 9 incidents.

In the past, the PTI founder had been blaming the “agencies’ men” for arson and shooting during the May 9 violent protests. In a tweet from his official handle in May last year, the ex-PM said his party has “ample amount of evidence” to prove that agencies’ men carried out arson and shootings during the protests to blame it on PTI. But Imran told journalists Wednesday: “Neither we are anti-army nor want a clash with forces.”

Responding to a question about the reserved seats, Khan said the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) disregarded democracy by depriving the PTI of reserved seats for women and minorities. He termed the ECP’s move an injustice to women workers of the PTI. The PTI founder also accused the election regulator of mass rigging in the February 8 general elections.

“We want to hold a peaceful protest against rigging,” the PTI leader added, a day after the PTI leadership announced a countrywide protest against rigging on March 10. “Peaceful protest is the right of every party in a democracy,” Khan said.

To another question, the PTI founder said that 70 percent of the country’s revenue was being spent on returning interest and debt. “I wrote a letter to IMF because economic stability is impossible without political stability,” he said about the letter that he had written, calling on the institution to hold an audit of the Feb 8 polls before disbursing loans to Islamabad.