Imran Khan rejects deal rumours, offers conditional talks

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder and former prime minister Imran Khan has said it would have been more appropriate if Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Syed Asim Munir had declared himself king instead of taking the title of field marshal, as the country is currently under the rule of the jungle — and in a jungle, it is the king who rules.

Speaking to his lawyers and journalists at Adiala Jail, Khan said he had been informed about the drone attack in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. “I am deeply saddened by the news and I strongly condemn the incident,” he said.

He said that he had directed the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to lodge a strong protest with the federal government, asking them to put an end to such drone attacks.

“These attacks (mostly US ones) had previously been stopped after our consistent efforts. Resuming them only exacerbates the problem.”

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Khan said the killing of innocent children and civilians in drone strikes only fuels terrorism rather than reducing it. “If you are truly against terrorism, do not bomb the homes of your own citizens,” he said.

No Deal, No Talks

Imran Khan dismissed rumours of any backchannel deal, saying: “These claims are baseless. There is no deal under consideration, nor are any talks under way. It is all a lie.”

However, he extended a conditional offer to the establishment, saying: “If they believe it is in Pakistan’s interest, then I invite them to talk to us. The country is facing external threats and rising terrorism. We must sit together to revive the economy. I have never begged before, and I will not beg now.”

Referring to the country’s external threats, Khan said, “Just as Pakistan Air Force once thwarted Modi’s plans, he might again act recklessly and attack. As a nation, we must be prepared.”

He criticised the selective application of the law in Pakistan, stating: “Currently, the rule of law applies only to the weak, while the powerful get away with everything. This is a systemic failure.”

Khan said democracy stands on two pillars — the rule of law and morality — both of which, he said, have been trampled. “The very essence of democracy is being strangled.”

The former prime minister said that when the message is sent that the bigger the thief, the higher the office they receive, it amounts to the death of justice.

He said that the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has a case against Asif Zardari’s sister involving five apartments registered under employees’ names, while she herself remains abroad — yet no one questions her.

Similarly, he said, Shahbaz Sharif faced a Rs22 billion money laundering case but despite that he was made the prime minister.

He said Pakistan’s moral fabric and constitutional structure have been entirely destroyed over the past three years. A farcical trial has been resumed in the Toshakhana-II case, he said.

Khan said that, like the rest of the prison system, the jail court is run at the discretion of a colonel. “Even my sisters and lawyers are being stopped from entering the court. My associates are not allowed to meet me.”

He further said that he has not been permitted to speak to his children for months, his books are withheld, and he is denied access to his personal physician — all of which, he said, are in continuous violation of court orders and the law.