RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan Wednesday announced he would tender an apology over the May 9 riots if it was proved through the CCTV footage that his party activists were involved in attacks on defence installations.
Speaking to reporters in a makeshift courtroom set up inside Rawalpindi’s Adiala jail, the former prime minister said he would apologise if the PTI activists were found involved in the violent protests that broke out in the country last year following his arrest from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises in a corruption case. The violent protests saw attacks on public properties, including military installations, in many parts of the country, prompting the civil and military leadership to try the rioters under the Army Act.
The PTI chief has time and again distanced his party from the protests, alleging that the riots were pre-planned and staged to launch a crackdown on the opposition party. “I will sack and seek punishment for the PTI members if they were found involved [in the May-9 incidents],” he added.
Referring to his arrest on May 9 last year, the PTI founder lamented that he was “dragged” by Rangers. “There is no respect for a popular person in Pakistan and globally,” he added. “Don’t you feel obliged to apologise to me?” asked the PTI founder.
The latest statement came as the PTI founder has apparently lowered his political rhetoric lately and offered to hold talks with the military. Khan said his criticisms since his ouster had been directed at individuals, not the military as an institution. “The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn’t be held against the institution as a whole,” he added.
Imran also admitted that the PTI activists hurled petrol bombs at law enforcers outside his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. “We only used petrol bombs in Zaman Park, Lahore — nowhere else,” he said while responding to a question that PTI activists were spotted carrying petrol bombs during the May 9 riots. The PTI founder further noted that any office-holder of his party, if involved in such incidents, should be penalised after identifying them via CCTV footage.
The incarcerated party founder also referred to the recent press briefing by Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Lieutenant General Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry, saying that the chief military spokesperson had stated that mafias were funding the anti-Pakistan campaign. “You told us the stories of corruption by Nawaz Sharif and Zardari. But the same people were imposed on the country after rigging the general election,” he complained.
The Pakistan Army is a national institution and it is the responsibility of every Pakistani to defend it, said the embattled leader. He said he was seeking talks with the establishment for the sake of the country and added that he would not hold talks if the other party was not interested.
Referring to the ouster of Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina following deadly protests, the former premier said the situation in Pakistan was worse than in Bangladesh. Voicing his premonition, Khan claimed that “something big is imminent to take place” in the country, especially on the heels of events that unfolded in Bangladesh and culminated in Sheikh Hasina’s ouster. He said his political rivals Nawaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, Shehbaz Sharif and Mohsin Naqvi might also run away from the country like the Bangladesh premier and demanded placing their names on the no-fly list.
“Do you still idealise Sheikh Mujibur Rehman as your hero?” a journalist asked. The PTI leader responded that whatever he had said in connection with the 1971 Fall of Dhaka were the findings of the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report, not his assertions.
Khan said the PTI faced significant hardships, including imprisonment of 10,000 party members, restrictions on contesting elections, and a ban on party activities. He said: “We are victim of the May 9 tragedy; we want justice”. He added human rights violations had occurred, which were also communicated to the chief justice of Pakistan.
However, sharply reacting to a conditional apology by the PTI founder for the May 9 incidents, PMLN Senator Talal Chaudhry said Imran Khan’s sisters, nephew and his party leaders were present outside the Corps Commander’s House in the CCTV footage. He said there would be no pardon now, and the attackers of the defence installations would be punished. He said the PTI activists desecrated the corps commander’s house, military installations, sensitive buildings and memorials of martyrs. He said people of his party had claimed “if there is no Khan, then there is no Pakistan”. Talal Chaudhry said the PTI activists attacked the PTV building, broke the gate of Parliament House. “Sometimes, they grab people by neck and sometimes fall on their feet,” he added.
Separately, PMLN Senator Irfan Siddiqui said the statement of the PTI founder was an expression of frustration, annoyance and helplessness. In a conversation with Geo News, he said the PTI founder had not done any peaceful protest to date. Irfan said it has been a year that the PTI founder made all efforts but failed.
Meanwhile, Bushra Bibi, wife of Imran Khan, filed an exoneration petition in the £190 million reference. During the hearing, NAB decided that the remaining 14 witnesses were not needed and dismissed them, making the defence lawyers’ request to summon those witnesses pointless. The PTI founder’s lawyer conducted a limited cross-examination of the NAB investigation officer. The hearing was adjourned until Thursday (today). Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi were present in the court. The case was heard by Judge Nasir Javed Rana.
Defence ministry rejects Imran’s charge of interference
Meanwhile, the federal government told the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday that the Ministry of Defence has strongly rejected the allegation that military officers interfere in the process of allowing those who meet the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder at the Adiala Jail.
IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq ordered the federal law officer to place the letter of the defence ministry on record. He was hearing PTI founder Imran Khan’s request to meet his lawyers without interference.
The court was requested to stop the alleged interference of officers of the armed forces in the process of getting permission to meet the PTI founder at the Adiala Jail. Khan’s counsel Shoaib Shaheen said that this is a case against military intervention at the Adiala Jail. The IHC chief justice asked if the report of the defence ministry had been filed. The deputy attorney general said the defence ministry had dismissed the PTI founder’s allegation as baseless.
Advocate Shaheen said a copy of the defence ministry’s letter had not been made part of the record. The court told the law officer to file the defence ministry’s reply with the court if there is no such thing, and then adjourned the hearing.