Imran Khan, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has responded to General (Retired) Faiz Hameed’s arrest by praising the military’s internal accountability process. He said that if there is going to be any kind of accountability, then it should be across the board. According to Khan, the former Chief of Army Staff General (Retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa removed Faiz based on Shahbaz Sharif and Nawaz Sharif’s conditions for an extension.
Significance of Faiz Hameed to PTI
Imran Khan mentioned that General Faiz Hameed was essential for PTI, which was now wasted. He asked why the investigation into his own arrest had not started since everything started from his detention. He added that if General Hameed is involved in the May 9 events, a thorough inquiry should be conducted. Speaking to journalists, he claimed that the incidents of May 9 were part of the “London Plan,” and CCTV footage from places where fires broke out has disappeared mysteriously. He also named three important figures in the so-called “London Plan” Chief Election Commissioner, Chief Justice Pakistan, and Chief Justice Islamabad High Court Aamer Farooq.
Imran Khan’s Criticism of the Judiciary and Election Commission
Khan criticized Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa for taking up cases like the Faizabad Commission and Bhutto case but not hearing the PTI petition. According to him, the judiciary did not act pretty because PTI won the election on February 8. Now, the Chief Justice, along with the Election Commission, are covering up fraudulent selections, he alleged. He supported statements made by former Commissioner Rawalpindi, who had predicted these actions correctly.
Constitutional Violations Allegations
According to Khan, the government wants to deny reserved seats in parliament for PTI to amend the constitution for the third time. The government has violated the constitution twice: first, by not holding elections within 90 days and then by avoiding October elections. Now, they are planning another constitutional amendment, he said. He asked his party to prepare for street protests and directed them to be alert.
Khawaja Asif’s Statement and Imran Khan’s Response
While responding to Khawaja Asif’s statement that General (Retired) Qamar Javed Bajwa sought an extension, Khan said this confirms his position. He claimed that General Bajwa ousted his government to secure his extension. He revealed a severe disagreement between him and General Bajwa over removing General Faiz Hameed. Reports of the Intelligence Bureau indicate that the current Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, Malik Ahmad Khan, was always in company with Bajwa, he pointed out.
Imran Khan’s Efforts to Retain Faiz Hameed
Khan repeatedly advised General Bajwa not to remove General Faiz Hameed, but he removed him and instructed ISI to focus on dismantling PTI. He addressed allegations that his government made deals with the Taliban and sheltered them. If these were true, then why is cross-border terrorism happening now? Why was there no terrorism during my tenure? He stated that this wave of terror was because of General Bajwa.
Conflict with Jail Authorities
Earlier, certain prison officers barred journalists from interviewing Imran Khan, requesting that they only cover the court proceedings. But Khan showed up in front of them, which led to a heated argument between him and the deputy superintendent of prisons. Out of frustration, Khan contended that he should not be prevented from speaking to the media because it was an open court before threatening that he might take this issue up in another court.
