The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has said that the country’s all-powerful army has set a stage for his “court martial” saying that it was the “end of democracy” and the “end of justice” in the politically and economically beleaguered nation
File Photo/AFP
The former Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, has said that the country’s all-powerful army has set a stage for his “court martial” saying that it was the “end of democracy” and the “end of justice” in the politically and economically beleaguered nation.
The former cricket star’s comments came a day after Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah accused Khan of planning the countrywide violence that erupted after his arrest on May 9. Earlier the country's army vowed to try the “masterminds and planners” of May 9 violence in military courts.
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Talking to reporters after appearing before the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday in connection with 10 different cases, including two ongoing petitions and eight new bail petitions, the 70-year-old Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said he knew he would be tried by a military court, PTI reported.
“The trial in the military court will be illegal,” he was quoted as saying.
“They knew that over 150 cases registered against me are baseless and there is no chance of my conviction in these bogus cases, therefore, they have decided to conduct my trial in the military court,” Khan said.
Pakistan's powerful army on Wednesday vowed to tighten the “noose of law” around “planners and masterminds” who mounted a “hate-ripened and politically-driven rebellion” against the state.
Khan dispelled the impression of being sidelined within the party and also dismissed the rumours about leaving Pakistan. “I don't have money to live in any other country because the [UK] pound has crossed Rs 400 and I can't afford to stay there,” he said.
Also read: Cash-strapped Pak govt to unveil budget ahead of general elections
He also rejected the rumours of a “bitter” meeting with PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi and said that he has cordial relations with the former foreign minister. Earlier, Khan spent four hours in the office of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) in Rawalpindi and replied in detail to the queries of the accountability watchdog in the Al Qadir corruption case.
The arrest of Khan by paramilitary personnel from the Islamabad High Court premises on May 9 triggered unrest in Pakistan, leading to several deaths and dozens of military and state installations being destroyed by the angry PTI protesters.
Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy targeting him because of his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China and Afghanistan. (With inputs from agencies)
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