Some of our people in contact with rivals: Imran

RAWALPINDI: Amid a widening rift within party ranks, incarcerated former prime minister Imran Khan Saturday claimed that “some of our people are in contact with the party rivals who wanted to dismantle” the PTI. He made the startling revelations while talking to journalists inside the Adiala jail, Rawalpindi.

Pointing towards the “black sheep” within the party, the PTI founder said those people were accusing Bushra Bibi of being an American agent. He said a powerful person had hatched a conspiracy to get his wife convicted in the Toshakhana case, just to break him.

He alleged that the ‘London Plan’ was made by Nawaz Sharif in collusion with the powerful person and some judges were also part and parcel of the plan.

He claimed this was why the intelligence agencies played a role in the appointment of judges to the higher judiciary.

Imran regretted that those who dispensed justice were taking action over past cases, including [Zulfikar Ali] Bhutto case and Faizabad dharna case, but they seemed oblivious to the plight of those innocent people languishing in jails in the so-called May 9 cases.

Apparently extending an olive branch to his rivals, Khan said: “If I can meet [former chief of army staff] General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa twice after he toppled my government, then I can meet anyone. At this time, it is not my personal issue but it is Pakistan’s.”

Slamming Gen (retd) Bajwa, the PTI founder said the former COAS stabbed them in the back. “I could have de-notified Bajwa,” Khan said, adding that he had shown restraint. “Despite all this, we formed a committee to meet General Bajwa.” The PTI leader said he never wanted a confrontation with the army.

To another query, he said that General Bajwa and ex-spymaster Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed told him about the corruption of PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and the Sharif family. “If I quit politics today, everything will be fine,” he claimed.

Referring to the alleged rigging in the February 8 general election, the PTI founder said attempts were being made to control them by “slashing” their mandate.

The former premier commended Islamabad High Court (IHC) judges for raising their voice against the spy agencies’ alleged interference in judicial affairs. “Who will invest in a country where judges are receiving threats,” added Imran Khan.

To another question, the PTI founder said he would file a case against the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) chairman and an alleged approver Inam Shah over their roles in the Toshakhana reference.