Home TRENDING THE ARMY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IMRAN’S DETENTION. ASIF KHAWAJA

THE ARMY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IMRAN’S DETENTION. ASIF KHAWAJA

THE ARMY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IMRAN'S DETENTION. ASIF KHAWAJA

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Defence Minister Khawaja Asif claims that the possibility of a ban on Imran’s PTI party “cannot be ruled out.”

Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif defends army against allegations levelled by PTI chief Imran Khan. PHOTO: File

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif defended the military on Tuesday in ISLAMABAD, saying the army had “no role” in the detention of former prime minister Imran Khan.

The minister told reporters outside the parliament building, “The Rangers and the military did not arrest Imran Khan.” The Rangers didn’t make the arrest themselves; they merely helped the cops make it.

To add insult to injury, he accused the head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) of trying to “justify” the attacks on May 9 by “hurling baseless accusations at the armed forces.”

Protesters, some of whom were said to be PTI members, attacked the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the home of the Lahore corps commander on May 9 in an extraordinary act of destruction.

The Islamabad High Court was attacked just hours after Imran was arrested by the paramilitary Rangers on instructions from the National Accountability Bureau in connection with the Al-Qadir Trust corruption case (later renamed the National Crime Agency £190 million scandal).

After the riots, the government began a brutal crackdown on the leaders and employees of the previous administration.

Asif put it, “Imran Khan is now trying to explain the organised attacks of military installations and is hunting for excuses for having instigated people [against the army].”

He also disclosed that the coalition parties in power had not discussed the possibility of banning the PTI.

The PPP has signalled its opposition to outlawing a political party on multiple times, in contrast to the numerous PML-N leaders who have expressed their support for the notion.

However, Asif did say that “immediate dialogue could be called should the need arise.”

And, “one cannot rule out a ban on the PTI,” he added.

He then added that former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif “will certainly return to Pakistan” in response to another query.

The Supreme Court (Review of Judgements and Orders) Bill, 2023, is credited with reviving Nawaz’s political prospects.

Many disqualified politicians, such as Nawaz Sharif and Jahangir Khan Tareen, the former secretary general of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), will be entitled to file a review petition under the new rule.

But the federal minister of law, Azam Nazeer Tarar, has declared that Nawaz Sharif will not gain from the new law.

He told Express News that the law applies to everyone equally.

Nawaz Sharif, the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, may be affected by the Supreme Court (Practise and Procedure) measure, but the measure has been put on hold by the highest court in the land.

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