PTI founder Imran Khan has denied party’s involvement in social media rhetoric against army martyrs.
During an informal exchange with journalists at the £190 million reference hearing in Adiala Jail, Imran Khan emphasized that his party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), was not engaged in any derogatory discourse on social media targeting the army martyrs.
He alleged that individuals behind the theft of CCTV footage from the May 9 tragedy were attempting to sow discord between PTI and the military.
Imran also claimed that the current government would last only five or six months and until then, he would stay in jail and awaited the departure of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo to London.
“PTI is not involved in the rhetoric against the martyrs of Pakistan Army on social media. This army is ours, why should we be against it,” he said. “The same people who stole the CCTV footage of the May 9 tragedy are involved. They will try to create a rift between the army and the PTI through social media.”
He said that the martyrdom of Lt-Gen Sarfaraz Ali in the helicopter crash in 2022 had saddened him and it caused an irreparable loss to the army. “No tweet was made against the martyrs of the army from any of our official accounts,” he insisted.
Accusing certain quarters of orchestrating the May 9 attacks to portray PTI as traitorous, Imran criticized the politicization of matters by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing.
He argued that ISPR's comments regarding a specific political party’s involvement in social media campaigns should have been preceded by consultation with PTI.
“The ISPR should ask us first in this regard.”
Imran Khan reiterated his skepticism regarding the longevity of the current government, predicting its demise within five or six months. He cautioned against the potential repercussions of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) program, foreseeing a surge in inflation rather than stability.
He alleged collusion among the caretaker government, the Election Commission, and the establishment. He asserted that the election, built on deception, had laid bare systemic flaws. Imran pointed to widespread calls for the resignation of the chief election commissioner (CEC) as a testament to the prevailing discontent.
Regarding the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Imran noted their reluctance to participate in the cabinet despite being part of the coalition. He suggested that the PPP's hesitation stemmed from a lack of confidence in the current governance structure's viability. “They know that this setup will not work”.
Imran underscored the importance of political stability in the country, otherwise, he warned that the money borrowed from the IMF would go waste. “I told the IMF not to issue loans until there is political stability in the country,” he said.
“There is no point in borrowing from the IMF unless we increase our sources of income,” he said. “The biggest problem in our economy is the shortage of dollars. We have the key to bring dollars into the country,” he added, in response to another query.
Source: The Express Tribune
BDST: 2003 HRS, MAR 21, 2024
MSK
