Imran says will write letter to army chief ‘for country’s sake’
PTI founder Imran Khan on Friday said he was writing a letter to Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir for the sake of the country and its current issues.
According to a transcript of his talk with the media today in Adiala Jail, posted by the PTI on its X account, Imran said: “I will write a letter to the army chief — not for myself, but for the country. [My] lawyers have been instructed to prepare a letter and inform me.”
“In the letter, I will tell [him] what is happening in Azad Kashmir and where the country is going. We have to think about it,” he said, referring to this week’s unrest in Azad Jammu and Kashmir that saw the killing of a police official and three citizens during clashes.
Imran said the army was a very important institution and should never be pitted against the people.
Speaking about the political polarisation in the country, he said: “the beneficiaries of [manipulation] of Form 47s start attacking [anyone] who questions them.”
He alleged that pressure was being exerted on the judiciary and the media to “protect lies”.
“The president, the prime minister and the Punjab chief minister are all representatives of this false system who have been given these seats through deceit and they have no authority whatsoever.”
Referring to the recent spat between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Faisal Karim Kundi and Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, Imran criticised the former as a “Form 47 beneficiary” who was conducting personal attacks against the latter.
“The fake representatives of this fake system issued statements and held press conferences against Justice Babar Sattar,” he said, referring to a slew of press conferences critical of the judiciary by politcians Mustafa Kamal, Faisal Vawda, Talal Chaudhry, Awn Chaudhry and Sindh Governor Kamran Tessori.
“That product of fake Form 47, that man from Model Town who could not get even 100 votes was made MNA by fake means and now he is giving statements against Justice Babar Sattar on the orders of his masters,” Imran said, in an apparent reference to Istekham-i-Pakistan Party’s Awn.
To a question about negotiations, he said: “There will be no negotiations with the [beneficiaries] of Form 47s. What is the justification for the continued existence of this government after the caretaker prime minister’s statement?
“[Anwaarul Haq] Kakar sent a message to Shehbaz Sharif by taunting Hanif Abbasi. In light of the statements of Anwarul Haq Kakar and Rawalpindi commissioner, the truth of Form 47 will be revealed and then this government will automatically fall. What should I talk to them about?”
The PTI founder was referring to an argument that Kakar had with PML-N’s Abbasi over the wheat scandal. Abbasi had reportedly chided Kakar for the alleged wheat scam while the latter had said if he spoke about the ‘Form-47s’ the PML-N leaders would not be in a position to appear in public.
On his Thursday appearance via video link from Adiala Jail in a Supreme Court hearing, Imran said he was “fully prepared” to speak and lamented that he was not given the opportunity to do so.
“The proceedings of this case should have been telecasted live. I hope I will be given an opportunity to speak next time.”
Describing Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa as a “fearless” man, Imran said the top judge had remarked that former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was not given a fair trial.
“I ask the chief justice whether I am being given a fair trial? We hope that justice will be done,” he said, referring to proceedings in the multiple cases under way against him.