Plot aimed at pitting PTI against the army: Imran
PTI chief and ex-prime minister Imran Khan accused the coalition government on Wednesday of orchestrating a conspiracy to pit its party against the army.
“They have prepared a plan to crush the PTI,” he said in a speech to supporters via video link.
Imran’s statements come after the government alleged that the former prime minister and other PTI officials were spreading hatred against the country’s institutions. On Tuesday, PTI leader Shahbaz Gill was detained on charges of sedition and public incitement to attack state institutions.
Gill was brought before the Islamabad High Court today where police obtained the politician’s two-day physical remand.
In his speech today, Imran said that a “scary plot” was designed to portray “Pakistan’s largest political party and the military as opponents”.
“Let me tell you […] that conspiracy is extremely dangerous and can hurt the country,” he said, recalling that when the ITP took power, the coalition government was “saddened” by its relations with the army.
These Nawaz and Zardari who call us traitors today attended international forums and gave interviews against the army” the head of the PTI said and then played extracts from earlier statements of the coalition leaders.
“Today it is said that we are against the army and now they have become the patriots who call us treacherous.”
Imran kept saying that all that was done was to break the party because “now PTI federal and provincial governments have the largest bank of electors in the country.”
“And the first tactical they used is before you […] the case of foreign funding.”
He asserted that the case was unfounded. “They are simply trying to demonstrate that the money we have raised from Pakistanis abroad is illegal. They blame the party that raised funds and has credible audit reports.”
Over the last four to five years, the courts have said that money from all political parties should be audited,” Imran said. ”
“But the ECP (Election Commission of Pakistan) knows that these parties have collected money illegally and that is why it does not want to investigate them,” claimed the former prime minister, adding that on the day the case was brought before the courts, it would be proven that “only PTI raised money legally in Pakistan”.
He added that the same thing was done in the Toshakhana Reference, claiming that all former prime ministers, presidents, and persons appointed to senior ranks were given gifts including the army chief.
“Investigate all,” Imran asked, stating that the two cases were used to disqualify him.