LAHORE, April 3, 2023: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday, said that former Army Chief General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa was fully prepared to get another extension which was denied by Nawaz Sharif.
Imran Khan stated this during an interview to a private channel at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore. The former prime minister said that he was very saddened by the disloyalty of General Bajwa. He said that initially I gave him the benefit of doubt, but later I realized that he was the only person behind the conspiracy against me and my government when the courts opened at night and the prisoner vans came.
Imran Khan said that General (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa considered Shehbaz Sharif a genius. He was satisfied to give power to Shehbaz Sharif as both of them had similar ideas. Former Prime Minister further said that his government and establishment were on the same page on foreign policy and Corona but our relationship strained during the last six months of my government.
He said that I did not grow up sitting in the lap of a dictator. I started my own political struggle and every human being makes mistakes but I tried to learn from them. He said that I thought my government and establishment had that same agenda and mission, i.e., to eliminate theft and corruption from the country, but I was disappointed.
A caretaker government is always neutral but this one (caretaker government) is taking revenge. “Which caretaker government puts political workers in jail,” he asked. He said that around 3,100 PTI workers are currently in jail and their goal is to weaken us.
Imran Khan further said that it is the constitutional obligation of the caretaker government to hold elections in 90 days after the dissolution of assembly. The Supreme Court is also saying that elections should be held in 90 days according to the constitution, but the ‘thieves’ are not accepting it.
Imran Khan said that today Pakistan is going through the worst crisis of its history. We had decided to dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by keeping the constitution in mind which clearly states that elections should be held in 90 days after the dissolution of assembly.
Imran Khan said that the country’s economy was improving during his government ,but unfortunately, it was ousted. He said the country’s growth rate was above 6% when his government was removed.
Imran Khan said that country’s economy is currently in turmoil and the PDM wanted to delay the elections and looking for the options to remove the PTI from their way, because they were waiting for the loans so that they could successfully execute their plans to knock out PTI from the elections race.
Answering a question, Imran said that we would find out new ways to bring investment in the country if my party came into power again. He said that we will cut down the expenditures and would utilize all efforts to reform the governance system. He added, overseas Pakistanis would also be facilitated.
He lashed out at the PDM and said that delaying the actions will be violation of constitution. Mr. Khan said the country would collapse and become a banana republic if the rule of law was not ensured.
He further said that I am not against America, I am fighting for the sake of country’s interest. He said that the ‘ruling mafia’ is dividing the judiciary for the sake of their interest. He urged to the nation and lawyers to stand by the judiciary and constitution.
He said the people have come to know about their rights and it is the right time that they should prepare for the protests. He said the country would collapse and would become a banana republic if the rule of law was not ensured.