Lahore: PTI Chairman Imran Khan again claimed that his arrest was inevitable and could happen as early as next Monday or upcoming week, saying that he did not see himself being “out of jail for long”.

“I was expecting to be jailed this week but my lawyers really put up great fight but I have no doubt that it is just question of time whether it is on Monday or some other day next week, they are going to put me in jail,” Imran Khan said in an interview with Fox News. During interview, Imran claimed he was being booked in new case every day and tally of first information reports lodged against him had increased to 180.

“Unfortunately, right now we are facing law of jungle and this is worst kind of persecution,” he lamented, adding that PTI workers across country had been “Picked up” and were being forced to quit party. “This sort of thing has never been done in Pakistan to political workers.” Talking about his ouster through a no-confidence motion last year, Imran said it was “Engineered” by former Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa “for an extension”. PTI Chief alleged Gen Bajwa had “Joined hands” with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and they “Fed US this bit that I was anti-American”. “He actually had lobbyist who was paid by my government without my knowledge who was lobbying in US regarding how anti-American Imran Khan was and how pro-American Army Chief was,” Imran claimed.

He added that PTI had now realised that their ouster was “Engineered” by Army Chief and not Washington. During 10-minute long interview with Fox News, he also defended his foreign policy, which Imran called “Non-aligned”. “My idea was not to be anti any government, my idea was to get people out of poverty,” he stated, referring to Pakistan’s position in Afghanistan war which “Took heavy toll on us”. Imran also talked about US exit from Afghanistan, lamenting way withdrawal took place. He added that he didn’t blame US President Joe Biden for not anticipating that former Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani “Would take off in middle of night.”

Published in The Daily National Courier, July, 13 2023

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