Pakistan’s jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who blames the military for his ouster from office and being held in prison for over 12 months on false charges, said on Sunday it would be “foolish” not to have an “excellent” relationship with the army.
Ahead of Monday’s anniversary of his prison term on dozens of charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, Khan also said in written responses to questions from Reuters that he held no grudges against the United States, which he also blames for his ouster from office in 2022.
“Given Pakistan’s geographical location and the important role the military plays in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship,” Imran Khan wrote in a response sent by his media and legal team.
He said, “We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces.”
Imran Khan said his criticisms since he stepped down have been focused on individuals, not the military as an institution. “Miscalculations by the military leadership should not be construed as against the entire institution.”
On Wednesday, Imran Khan offered to hold “conditional talks” with the South Asian country’s military – provided “clean and transparent” elections were held and “fake” cases against his supporters were withdrawn.
Pakistan’s military and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Imran Khan’s statement to Reuters. Both have repeatedly denied his claims.
The United States has denied any role in his expulsion.
In his response, the 71-year-old former cricket star did not clarify what he wanted to discuss with the Army.
Ready for any talks with the army
The military, which has ruled for more than half of Pakistan’s 76-year independent history, plays a big role in the politics and governance of the country of 240 million people.
No Pakistani prime minister has completed a full five-year term and most of them have spent time in prison. Analysts say most of them secured their release by striking deals with the military, though the military denies the claim.
Imran Khan, who lost power through a no-confidence motion in parliament following differences with the generals, has said the army is supporting politically motivated cases against him, a move the military has denied.
Still, he said there would be “no harm” in negotiating with the generals if he were released from prison and wanted to return to power.
“We are ready for any dialogue that can help improve the grave situation in Pakistan,” he said, adding that it was futile to hold any such talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government, which does not enjoy public support because it claims it won the February election through fraud.
Imran Khan said that instead, “it would be more useful to engage with those who actually hold power.”
The army – which says Imran Khan and his party were behind attacks on military installations during massive protests against his detention last year – has previously ruled out any talks with him.
Imran Khan’s jail sentence has increased political instability in Pakistan, which has been struggling with a long-running economic crisis and last month received a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.
Analysts say political instability since the ouster of Imran Khan has forced Islamabad to accept the IMF’s painful fiscal consolidation requirements, adding to the heavy tax burden on the people.
The IMF has called for political stability to put the $350 billion economy on a path to recovery.
Imran Khan has rejected the idea of ​​an out-of-court settlement with the government or the military unless they accept that his PTI party has won a majority in February’s election.
Imran Khan told Reuters: “These elections were the most rigged in the history of Pakistan.”
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
