ISLAMABAD: Imprisoned former prime minister Imran Khan appeared to revers his position on Sunday, stating that it would be “foolish” to not have “excellent” relations with the army. Khan has long blamed the military for his removal from office and subsequent incarceration.
It has been a full year since he was imprisoned on numerous allegations, ranging from corruption to disclosing state secrets, on August 5.
“The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn’t be held against the institution as a whole,” he declared, claiming that his critiques since his removal had been aimed at specific people rather than the military as a whole.
The PTI founder also stated that if he were to be released from prison and pursue a return to power, there would be “no harm” in speaking with the generals in an interview that was posted over the weekend by the news agency Reuters.
Mr. Khan stated, “Given Pakistan’s geographical position and the military’s significant role in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship,” in written responses to inquiries from Reuters that were forwarded by his media and legal teams.
Last week, Mr. Khan made an offer to engage in “conditional negotiations” with the military in exchange for “clean and transparent” elections and the dismissal of “bogus” charges brought against his allies.
He insisted that since the Shehbaz Sharif government, in his opinion, lacks popular support, it is pointless to engage any such discussions with it.
It would be “more productive to engage with those who actually wield power,” according to Mr. Khan.
In the past, the military has rejected negotiations with him and his party, blaming them for the May 9 events.
In addition, Mr. Khan disapproved of the notion of an extrajudicial agreement being reached with the military or government unless they acknowledged that his party had secured a majority in the election held in February.
