Imran blames TTP talks, says army was ‘on board’ – Pakistan

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ISLAMABAD: PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday claimed military leaders were fully on board to hold talks with the outlawed Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and blamed negligence of incumbent governments for the resurgence groups.

He was speaking to reporters after attending the Islamabad High Court (IHC) hearing on his bail applications in seven FIRs registered against him at different police stations in the federal capital.

Recently, the army distanced itself from the initiative of the PTI government to dialogue with the TTP. Head of ISPR, Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, in his first press conference, had recently said: “Holding a dialogue with the banned TTP was the decision of the Pakistani government at the time and they [previous regime] openly admitted it too.

In response to a question that his government had been blamed for reconciling with the terror squad that helped them regroup, Mr Khan said then-army chief Qamar Bajwa and the Director General of the ISI were part of the decision to hold discussions with the TTP.

Calls for rallies tomorrow to support CJP; IHC grants ex-PM a 10-day protection bond; JIT does not mean police notice in Zaman Park

In fact, we have started discussions with the Afghan government on their [TTP leaders] repatriation, he said.

We were discussing their rehabilitation and while the talks were going on, my government was overthrown and that government did not care, he explained, adding that last year the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mahmood Khan, had raised this issue, but his plea fell on deaf ears. no one cared, hence the situation deteriorated.

Mr Khan said he had informed the Lahore High Court (LHC) of death threats, adding that a senior spy agency official had planned to assassinate him twice.

He said that no official can act without the consent of his superiors.

Judiciary process

An IHC Division bench consisting of Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb disposed of seven motions by Mr Khan. While granting him a 10-day protective bond, the court ordered him to apply to the competent court to post bail before his arrest.

The court, on another motion asking for the trial of Mr Khans by video link in two other cases, requested the assistance of his lawyer and adjourned the hearing until May 12.

As the bench heard arguments from lawyer Salman Safdar, the untimely intervention of PTI chief Fawad Chaudhry angered the judge and the proceedings ended on an unsavory note.

Mr Chaudhry said the government has openly defied the guidelines of the high courts and the Supreme Court, but the PTI is the only party complying with the courts’ guidelines.

He accused the district administration and the police of intimidating PTI workers on the pretext of security.

The court observed that the district administration and police were responsible for providing security and could not interfere in their area.

Seeking a blanket bail order for the PTI President in all criminal cases, Barrister Safdar argued that Mr Khan faced serious death threats and found it difficult for him to apply for bail in the courts of first instance.

Judge Farooq asked the lawyer to cite any precedent as other suspects would seek similar relief.

Call for rallies

Before leaving Lahore for Islamabad, Mr Khan, in a video message, asked people to come out on the roads to express their solidarity with the Chief Justice of Pakistan, protect the Supreme Court and the Constitution because a mafia wanted split the Supreme Court and trample the Constitution.

Mr Khan issued the call for rallies in Lahore, Rawalpindi, Islamabad and Peshawar at 5.30pm on Saturday.

JIT fails to serve notice

In a related development, JIT investigative cases filed against Mr Khan and other PTI leaders said that during a visit to Zaman Park they were unable to access crime scenes due to the presence of party workers there.

JIT officials reported to senior police officers that they had gone to Mr Khan’s home because he had failed to appear before the JIT despite several summonses to assist in investigations. Delegated staff at Mr Khans’ residence denied the JIT access to issue a police notice for crime scene inspection, JTI said, adding that security personnel and Zaman Park employees were reluctant to receive notice.

The PTI reacted strongly to the JIT’s visit to Zaman Park when Mr Khan was absent.

CCPO Lahore’s order for JIT members to visit Imran Khan’s residence is in clear violation of the court order, PTI said and recalled that Punjab police also ransacked Mr. Khan when he traveled to Islamabad for his court appearance.

Mansoor Malik and Asif Chaudhry in Lahore also contributed to this report

Posted in Dawn, May 5, 2023

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