Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief and former prime minister Imran Khan has said that the political parties and those in power in the Asian nation influenced the United States to turn against him. In a jaw-dropper interview with news media outlet Newsweek, Khan accused the US of exercising double standards, while defending his own non-aligned policy in international affairs.
Imran Khan has been booked in yet another case related to the purchase of over 5,000 kanals (625 acres) of land at throwaway prices through fraud in the country’s Punjab province.
The total number of cases against the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief has now swelled to over 140 following his ouster as the prime minister of Pakistan in April last year.
Khan’s cases mostly relate to terrorism, inciting the public to violence, arson attacks, blasphemy, attempted murder, corruption and fraud.
The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) of Punjab registered the new case against Khan.
In his interview with Newsweek, Imran Khan said, “So, what happened subsequently was unique in Pakistan, because on April 9 last year, my government was removed. And on April 10, which has never happened in this country, hundreds and thousands of people came out on the streets to protest.”
“When the people came out, it was a shock to everyone, including myself. By the way, I’d never expected people because we never planned it. It was a spontaneous reaction. And then I went to the public, had a series of rallies, and all were massive rallies, bigger than any rallies in Pakistan. And then there were by-elections. So, my party swept.”
Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan.
“Well, the people who conspired to pull down my government, which was the ex-Army Chief [Qamar Javad Bajwa], and afterwards, he quite clearly stated [as such]. Because within his own circles, within the army circles, they kept asking, “Why did they remove me?” So, he actually then justified it that I was dangerous. He claimed I was dangerous for Pakistan. And they gave some other reasons, too.”
On assassination attempts against him, Imran Khan said, “There were two, by the way, there was another assassination attempt on me on March 18. They were part of that, whatever happens, I can’t come back.”
Imran Khan also talked about the cases against him, “Then, this false flag operation, which happened on May 9, they could easily have come and pick me up, the police could have come and said, “Here’s your warrant, and we’re taking you to jail.” That could have happened, but instead, while I’m sitting in the High Court [of Islamabad], I have this commando operation where they come and smash everything…They beat up everyone. I was hit over my head.”
“And then they took me away like I was some sort of the biggest terrorist in this country, not someone who was having the biggest party in the country. But the moment I was in the jeep, suddenly they were completely polite, very courteous and polite.”
“It was unlawful, clearly what they did was unlawful. They call it abduction. It wasn’t an arrest,” he asserted.
Download The Mint News App to get Daily Market Updates & Live Business News.
Updated: 11 Jun 2023, 06:14 PM IST