Sh Rashid acknowledges May 9 events were planned

ISLAMABAD: Awami Muslim League (AML) Chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed, who resurfaced after a month-long disappearance acknowledged that the events of May 9 were planned but sought forgiveness for those involved.

In an interview with a private news channel, he said that he was out of the country during the violence that followed Imran Khan’s arrest and had advised PTI not to clash with the establishment.

He acknowledged that the events of May 9 were planned but sought forgiveness for “commoners” involved in the May 9 incidents. He also described the day as a “black day” for Imran.

Rashid, a close ally of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, revealed that he had been in a spiritual solitude known as ‘chilla’ for the past 40 days

He said that he had the opportunity to reflect on many things during the chilla in this age. “No one caused any harm during this period”, he added.

He emphasized the importance of maintaining good relations with the Pakistan Army, calling himself the spokesperson of the institution.

“I am not point scoring, I have spent time in the chilla, but the country cannot function without the institutions,” he said.

Calling PTI Chief Imran Khan “a stubborn politician”, he said that he requested Khan to include him in the committee – which was holding talks with army – but the latter refused, adding that the politicians and the institutions should work together.

LHC gives RPO one week for recovery of Sh Rashid

He urged politicians not to mention military officers by name and pointed out that the three individuals negotiating with the army on behalf of the PTI had formed their own political party. Rashid also admitted that it was a mistake to engage in a dispute with the Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir.

Sheikh Rashid also addressed the issue of his Twitter account, stating that although he did not use it personally, the tweets attributed to him were his own. He acknowledged that Twitter had caused controversy.

Rashid’s reappearance came after the Lahore High Court had given the police until October 26 to locate him, following his arrest on September 17. He expressed his intention to contest in the upcoming elections, emphasizing that his success depended on the support he would receive.