Former Prime Minister Imran Khan Pakistan: Accuses Military of Attempting to Destroy His Party

Imran Khan Pakistan

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Imran Khan Pakistan, the embattled former Prime Minister of Pakistan, has openly accused the country’s powerful military and its intelligence agency of actively seeking to dismantle his political party, expressing certainty that he would be subjected to a military court trial and imprisoned.

Imran Khan Pakistan,

While Khan has previously hinted at the military’s involvement in cracking down on his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, his remarks during an interview at his Lahore residence on Saturday night were his most straightforward yet. When asked about the orchestrators of the crackdown, Khan bluntly stated, “It is completely the establishment. Establishment obviously means the military establishment, because they are really now openly—I mean, it’s not even hidden now—they’re just out in the open.”

Despite a request for comment, the military, which has exerted direct or indirect control over Pakistan throughout its 75-year history and rarely faced public challenges to its power like the one presented by Khan, did not respond to the allegations.

Tensions between Khan, the country’s most popular leader according to polls, and the army escalated during a year-long standoff and reached a critical point when military buildings and properties were allegedly vandalized by his supporters last month. The political unrest has heightened uncertainty in the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million people, which also grapples with financial turmoil. With its $350 billion economy struggling to avert default, control rampant inflation, and manage a plummeting currency, Pakistan faces numerous challenges.

Khan referred to the violent protests that erupted following his brief arrest as a “false flag operation” intended to target him. Authorities have initiated legal proceedings against dozens of individuals, including PTI members, suspected of involvement in the protests, with military courts, typically reserved for service members or those deemed enemies of the state, handling the cases.

“That’s the only way they are going to get me into prison,” Khan remarked, highlighting the military’s desire to prevent his return to power in the upcoming elections scheduled for November. He dismissed about 150 criminal cases filed against him as baseless and expected them to be dismissed in a civilian court. However, he expressed no doubt that the military courts were specifically designed for him, despite currently being out on bail.

Amnesty International has criticized Pakistan’s military courts in the past, citing disregard for due process, lack of transparency, coerced confessions, and executions following unfair trials.

Khan further claimed that the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), the country’s most powerful spy agency, played a significant role in the crackdown. He revealed that two senior PTI members were summoned by the agency, and upon arrival, they were silenced and told they couldn’t leave unless they renounced their affiliation with PTI.

While imran Khan Pakistan attempted to establish contact with the military to discuss a resolution to the ongoing crisis, he received no response. He expressed bewilderment as to why Army Chief General Asim Munir seemed fixated on sidelining him. Munir had previously served as the head of ISI before becoming army chief in November 2022, but was abruptly removed from the ISI position in 2019 while Khan was still prime minister. Khan admitted for the first time in the interview that he had wanted Munir to resign as ISI chief, potentially causing a grudge between them.

Imran Khan Pakistan, was ousted from office through a parliamentary vote last year, an event he claims was orchestrated by Pakistan’s top generals. However, the military denies these allegations. Munir’s early removal as ISI head was not officially explained, but Khan implied that it was related to his request for resignation. Despite Munir’s subsequent appointment as the country’s top general by Khan’s political rival, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Khan questioned why Munir

would still harbor a grudge, stating, “He shouldn’t have issues with that now because he is the army chief.”

Imran Khan Pakistan, expressed confusion over the campaign against him, remarking on his 50 years of recognition in the country, numerous accolades, and being one of Pakistan’s most well-known figures. He found it perplexing to suddenly be treated as an outsider and an enemy of the state.