Imran Khan insists he will talk only to those who matter

Making it clear that he would talk to only those who were the real repository of powers in the country, former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan said on Saturday that the first condition for talks would be that these would be within the constitution and second the mandate, which people had given to the PTI in the February 8 general elections and which was later stolen from it would be returned to it, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

In an informal chat with journalists at Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi, he said there was unannounced martial law in the country.

Responding to a question about what he had to say about the Pakistan Army’s stance that he (Imran) should seek forgiveness for his deeds, the former prime minister said that the institution, and not he, should apologize because he had been wronged. “It was I who had been kidnapped by the Rangers,” he said.

The PTI founder further said the ‘Mother of U-turns’ was the one taken by the PML-N, which started by saying, ‘Give respect to votes’ and ended up giving respect to military boots.

Responding to another question whether he had directed PTI leaders not to make anti-army statements, Imran said that the party would criticize any illegal act done by any state institution. “I was told that I made a mistake by giving a call for a peaceful protest outside the GHQ,” he said, adding, “Where in the constitution it is written that protesting outside the GHQ is a crime.”

The former prime minister was asked thrice about the expulsion of Sher Afzal Marwat from the PTI.

But he did not reply to a single one and merely said that he would talk about it later.

The PTI founder said that the first reference the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) had filed against him with respect to a necklace was in fact in his possession.

He said that the NAB by filing Toshakhana reference-II against him had violated its own rules. “In the first reference, it was alleged that I bought the necklace at a lower price,” he said, adding, “The same allegation was repeated in the second reference.”

The man, who was an approver in the first reference, he went on to say, was an approver in the second one as well.

Imran said that he bore the expenditures of the Bani Gala camp house when he was the prime minister.  “After having been acquitted in the Toshakhana-II, I will file a case against all persons, including the NAB chairman and the investigation officers,” the PTI founder said.

He said that when he by mistake told the court that he had the necklace with him, the anti-corruption watchdog found itself in a quandary, due to which he was given punishment in haste.

Imran further said that in the entire world, democracies owe their existence to high moral standards. “But here opposite is the case, as the present government MNAs are sitting in the assembly without an iota of shame.”

The former prime minister said that just like was the case in the past, this time too, those in the government were attacking the judiciary.

Reporter: Irshad Qureshi