ISPR presser: Imran questions press conference by institutions if they claim to be apolitical

Former prime minister and PTI chairman Imran Khan Thursday raised question over the unprecedented press conference held jointly by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum and Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) DG Lt Gen Babar Iftikhar.

In an interview with a private new channel, Khan questioned if institutions were apolitical what was the purpose of holding a “political presser”.

He was of the view that today’s press conference was “unprecedented” and “never heard of”.

The PTI chief said either there should be some issue that concerned them, like security, but they held a political press conference so he didn’t understand this.

He said if he started giving answers “it will cause a lot of damage to the country”.

“Ever since I was removed from the government, I tried the best to prevent any harm to the country and army from my side. I know that if I say anything about the establishment it will impact the army.

“But when they do a press conference like this […] and if I start responding […] it will directly go on our army and I don’t want to hurt them in any way. This is why I always try that my criticism is constructive and beneficial,” Imran said.

He continued that he had been criticising “dirty harry”, who according to him has been recently posted in Islamabad, for the torture inflicted on Azam Swati and Shahbaz Gill.

“Our effort are to criticise them. These actions that you’re doing, who is hurting? The country is being hurt, and what is happening because of these acts?”

About “backdoor talks”, the PTI chief said that before the no-confidence vote, he was aware of the “conspiracy” being hatched to toppled his government.

“I very publicly said again and again that I had told Gen Bajwa that if at this time this conspiracy succeeds it will have a direct impact and loss on economy.

“I warned and said that there were talks of an extension here. I told him that if they’re offering you [an extension], then we can do the same,” Imran said.

“To say that I was making deals in closed rooms, what would I achieve from a deal? I said do this for Pakistan. But they didn’t stop the conspiracy and look what happened.”

Imran said the meeting took pace at the President House and and in it, one thing was said that except for elections there is no other way.

Talking about the murder of journalist Arshad Sharif, Imran said that everyone knew “attempts were made to silence him”.

“Look at his programme, then who was in danger because of him […] look at his tweets. This is not hidden. Why did the public come out like this for his funeral? People knew him and his truth.

“Arshad Sharif’s truth will never be hidden. He sent a letter to the Islamabad High Court and President Arif Alvi saying that his life is in danger. He said the same to me and I advised him to leave country. But he was so brave he didn’t want to go,” the PTI chief added.

Commenting on PTI leader Faisal Vawda’s press conference, Imran said he had seen many close people in his life change and show a different side during testing times.

“I was very saddened by what he did and I was not expecting it. This was done on request. I know on whose request this was done -- dirty harry’s request.”

Vawda told reporters that blood would be shed and bodies would fall during the PTI long march that is scheduled to commence from Lahore on Friday.

Replying to a question about PTI’s long march, Imran said his party would not enter Islamabad’s Red Zone during the protest, and that the march will remain peaceful.