(Reuters) — In a recent written response to Reuters, Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and a former prime minister, emphasized the importance of maintaining strong relations with the military, despite his previous criticisms.
Khan, who is currently imprisoned on multiple charges including corruption and leaking state secrets, described it as “foolish” not to have “excellent” relations with the army, given Pakistan’s geographical significance and the military’s substantial role in the private sector.
Khan expressed pride in Pakistan’s soldiers and armed forces, clarifying that his past criticisms were aimed at specific individuals rather than the institution as a whole. He stated, “The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn’t be held against the institution as a whole.”
Ahead of the anniversary of his imprisonment, Khan offered to hold “conditional negotiations” with the military, contingent upon the occurrence of “clean and transparent” elections and the dismissal of what he describes as “bogus” cases against his supporters. He criticized the current coalition government led by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, arguing that it lacks public support and was installed through what he claims was a “stolen” election in February.
Khan asserted that engaging in dialogue with the establishment, rather than the coalition government, would be more productive, especially if he were released from jail and sought to return to power. He emphasized the need for political stability in Pakistan, particularly in light of the country’s prolonged economic crisis and recent International Monetary Fund (IMF) bailout. The IMF has urged political stability to aid in the recovery of Pakistan’s $350 billion economy.
Despite the challenging political landscape, Khan rejected the possibility of an out-of-court settlement with the government or military unless they acknowledged his party’s victory in the disputed February election. He described the elections as “the most rigged in Pakistan’s history,” reinforcing his stance against the current administration.
