Pakistan Army chief & DG ISI responsible, if anything happens to me: Imran Khan

Khan's comments come two days after the Pakistan government said that the former prime minister's trial in cases concerning the violence on May 9 last year might go to the military courts.

By: Express Web Desk

New Delhi | August 27, 2024 09:00 PM IST

4 min read

Khan's longish post on X started with “reminding” the nation of the two attempts on his life: first in Wazirabad, Punjab province and then again at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad.

In a statement from Adiala Jail on Tuesday, Pakistan’s imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan reiterated his allegations that the Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) are responsible for his current situation. Khan, who has been incarcerated since last year, expressed serious concerns for his safety and well-being.

The 71-year-old Khan criticized the current government for its intolerance towards dissent and accused it of exacerbating Pakistan’s law-and-order issues. He also lamented the decline of Pakistan’s cricket, attributing the team’s repeated losses to the administration’s failures.

In his social media post on X, Khan once again claimed that the recent elections were rigged. He argued that only a government with a genuine mandate could undertake the necessary fundamental reforms to address the country’s issues.

“The ISI controls all administrative matters related to my imprisonment. I’m saying it again: if anything happens to me, the Army Chief and DG ISI will be responsible,” the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said in a detailed post on X.

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Khan’s remarks follow the Pakistan government’s announcement two days ago that his trial related to the May 9 violence might be transferred to military courts. “The events and vandalism on May 9 last year invited the application of the Army Act since military installations were attacked and damaged,” Government spokesperson for legal affairs Barrister Aqeel Malik had said, reported news agency PTI.

On May 9 last year, violent protests erupted following Khan’s arrest by paramilitary Rangers at the Islamabad High Court in connection with an alleged corruption case. His party workers were accused of vandalizing several military sites, including the Jinnah House in Lahore, the Mianwali airbase, and the ISI building in Faisalabad. Additionally, the Army headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi was also attacked.

In a lengthy post on X, Khan began by reminding the nation of two assassination attempts on his life: the first in Wazirabad, Punjab, and the second at the Judicial Complex in Islamabad.

He claimed that the ISI stole the CCTV footage from Wazirabad, and the night before the attack in Islamabad, the ISI had taken control of the area where it happened. “In their panic, they have made my conditions in jail even tougher. The staff assigned to ensure that my food isn’t poisoned has been changed for the fourth time,” he wrote. He also detailed the conditions of his and his wife Bushra’s cell, describing it as so dire that “rats fall from the ceiling when she prays,” and noted that the court has been made aware of these conditions.

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Khan further declared that he had already explained why the Islamabad rally was postponed and how it had nothing to do with “contacts with the establishment.” “This entire government runs on lies; I don’t even read the news about them. I have no contact with the establishment. If we do hold talks with them, it will only be for the sake of the country and the constitution,” the PTI supremo added.

Drawing a parallel to the situation that unfolded in Bangladesh, he also came up with a curt comment: “Cattle can be herded in a desired direction, not humans” and said, “The Army Chief, Chief Justice, and Police Chief were all loyal to the Prime Minister (in Bangladesh), but when the people took to the streets, they won their rights.” “Anyone critical of the regime is labelled a digital terrorist. When internet services were shut down, people protested, but those in power couldn’t handle the criticism. No one is permitted to even voice their problems. The nation blames a specific institution for this,” he added.

“What are his qualifications? Under him, the law-and-order situation across the country is deteriorating,” the PTI leader asked and described terror attack incidents in KP and Balochistan.

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