Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan responded to speculation about his meeting with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa, as was reported by some journalists recently.
On ARY News’ programme “Sawal Yeh Hai” with Maria Memon, when asked about the meeting, he said, “Jhoot mein bolna nahi chahta, sach mei bol nahi sakta”, (I don’t want to lie and I can’t tell the truth). However, he was of the view that negotiations should be held.
Earlier, there was speculation that Khan had a meeting with COAS last month. The meeting was arranged by President Arif Alvi and was held at the President’s House in Islamabad. Reportedly, Khan and the COAS could not reach an agreement, but Khan toned down his rhetoric pertaining to the establishment after the meeting.
About his recent audio leaks, Khan revealed that the first audio leak between him and his then-principle secretary Azam Khan was a telephonic conversation. According to him, he hasn’t listened to the second audio leak. “I can’t comment on it”, he responded.
However, when asked that in this second audio leak he [Khan] insisted his party members use the word “letter” instead of “cipher”, the PTI Chairman said that there is nothing wrong with it as the general public wouldn’t have been able to understand the word cipher.
About the controversial cipher, Khan said he had not made the cipher public at once because at the time, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting was in progress in the capital and it would have been inappropriate to share the cipher then.
He said that these leaks are a security breach as the secure line Prime Minister’s (PM) Office got leaked.
During the interview, Khan said that he is always ready to be arrested. “These people don’t have democracy and morality in them”, he added.
According to the former PM, when he gets disqualified, the government will hold elections.
He termed his Toshkhana case as “open and shut”. He said he did nothing wrong in the case which is pending against him in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP.)
It is pertinent to mention here that Khan is accused of selling state gifts and failing to disclose their value in his annual tax returns.
Speaking about the upcoming long march, Khan said the date would be announced within a week. He said Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi is an ally of the PTI and he would support the party in its march.
About the departure of former premier Nawaz Sharif to London during the PTI government on medical grounds, Imran Khan commented that when Nawaz Sharif went out of the country, he came to realise that “Everything is possible” in Pakistan.
“Unfortunately our justice system is weak due to which these people are benefitting,” he said in a comment on the cases against his political opponents.
