ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, who blames the military for his ouster and 12-month-old imprisonment on what he calls trumped-up charges, said on Sunday it would be “foolish” not to have “excellent” relations with the army.
Ahead of Monday’s anniversary of his jailing on dozens of charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets,Imran also said in written responses to Reuters questions that he held no grudges against the United States, whom he has also blamed for his 2022 ouster from office.
“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,” Imran wrote in replies relayed by his media and legal team.
“We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces,” he said.
Imran said his criticisms since his ouster had been directed at individuals, not the military as an institution.
“The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn’t be held against the institution as a whole.”
On Wednesday, Imran offered to hold “conditional negotiations” with the South Asian nation’s military – if “clean and transparent” elections were held and the “bogus” cases against his supporters were dropped.
Pakistan’s army and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Imran’s remarks to Reuters. They have both repeatedly denied his assertions.
The United States denies any role in his ouster.
In his replies, the 71-year-old former cricket star did not specify what he wanted to discuss with the military.
Imran, who lost power in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after falling out with the generals, has said the army has been backing what he calls the politically motivated cases against him, which the military has denied.
Still, he said, there would be “no harm” in engaging with the generals if he should be released from jail and seek to return to power.
“We are open to any dialogue that could help improve the dire situation in Pakistan,” he said, adding that it was useless to open any such talks with the coalition government of Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, which he says does not enjoy public backing because he claims it won a stolen election in February.
Rather, Imran said, it would be “more productive to engage with those who actually wield power.”
The military – which says Imran and his party were behind attacks on military installations last year during widespread protests against his detention – has previously ruled out any talks with him.
Imran rejected the idea of reaching an out-of-court settlement with the government or military, unless they accepted that his PTI party had won a majority in February’s election.
“The elections were the most rigged in Pakistan’s history,” Imran told Reuters.
C. Reuters
