PM Imran Khan confident crisis will be over: Irshad Bhatti

LAHORE: Senior analyst Irshad Bhatti Friday said in Geo News programme ‘Naya Pakistan Shahzad Iqbal Ke Saath’ that his recent meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan was informal and off the record. Therefore, he would not divulge what the premier said on different issues. However, he said he found Imran Khan confident that the current crisis would be over soon.

Bhatti said that the DG ISPR [Director General Inter-Services Public Relations] also said in his press conference that their fears proved true with the pronouncement of the detailed verdict, and the federal ministers also mentioned it during their press conference. He said during his meeting with the premier, he also got the impression that he (PM) feels that a conspiracy was being hatched to fail the government and create hatred between the state institutions. The PM felt there was something fishy which happened on the national scene while the country was moving towards development and stability.

The analyst said the prime minister was hurt by the special court verdict wording that the convict should be dragged to the D-Chowk if he’s dead and be hanged there. The premier finds it unconstitutional, illegal, inhuman and immoral, as he said it yesterday. However, it was his impression that the premier was confident that crises did occur in the life of nations and get resolved. The state was formed by institutions, which should work within their ambits, the PM believed and he was confident that the government would resolve the issue, added Bhatti.

To another question, Irshad Bhatti recalled that Premier Imran Khan had said during his meeting with anchorpersons that he was the only leader who was kept in jail for eight days by General Musharraf. He was forced to stay in a truck for seven hours in hot summer season, and taken to Kot Lakhpat jail first and then to another jail. What he gathered from his informal talk, Bhatti said, was that whatever his stance was as the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf could not be implemented fully now, as now he is the prime minister of Pakistan, and not merely the chairman of his party. He has to take care of all institutions of the country and take them along. There’s judiciary on the one side and the Army on the other, and the government.

Irshad Bhatti said the prime minister believed now the government was taking the economy to a better position in very tough situation; dollar situation had improved a little. Institutions are also improving a little; changes are taking place for the better in Punjab. As the prime minister of Pakistan, he wanted to do many good things, but there were hindrances in implementation of his earlier stance now. Bhatti said he felt that prime minister did not want a clash between the state institutions; he did not want any more polarisation.

To yet another question, the analyst said he gathered from the premier’s talk that Pervez Musharraf should have been given a last chance of presenting his viewpoint. In 2007, an emergency was declared… was it not a violation of the Constitution? In 2010, the 18th Amendment was introduced. The parliament validated it. Justice Nazar Akbar’s decision was also part of the verdict. Both amendments, 17th and 18th, were approved by the parliament, and on both occasions 90 per cent of the members were the same. And thirdly, added Irshad Bhatti, he felt in premier’s talk that the main issue was the state and its institutions, and not General Musharraf. Would we always remain entangled in such issues, the analyst felt asking the premier.

Irshad Bhatti said he thinks the matter is the same as it seems. They also think in the same way. The main point in this was to fail the government, to keep it in state of conflict and make the institutions clash with each other. The ISPR DG is correct and he also thinks in the same way. There are several points and what he said was off the record.

He said the accountability process would be completed and there was no worry about that. If there are bails, the prime minister will again move the courts. There is no ‘Dheel’ (leniency) on the part of the government or the prime minister. The PM has said many a time that accountability was his agenda. Bhatti said there were only worries, but no case had been abolished. Khosa Sahib has said today’s action comes through an act of parliament. Bhatti said he thinks he (premier) has many other options also.