Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Sunday said that all the policies of the military in Pakistan depend on one individual, adding that General Bajwa “favored some of the biggest crooks in this country”.
In a televised address, Imran said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was afraid of him and wanted to block his way at any cost.
“Unfortunately, former army chief General Qamar Bajwa (retired) gave them another NRO. Now, they know that the NRO-2 will be reversed if I return to power,” Imran said.
Imran said the government wanted him out of electoral politics, and they were ready to go to any extent.
“They don’t want me to contest the upcoming elections, because they know that I will win the next election, and their politics will be over. This is why they want me out,” he said.
In his address, Imran Khan said Pakistan had come to a very critical point, if correct decisions are not taken, the country will suffer a great loss.
The PTI chief said one of the options for them to compete against the “tyrant government” was street agitation. But they started the “Jail Bharo Movement” instead, as the country’s economy could not survive instability.
Talking about the military power in Pakistan, the former premier said that “Military [in Pakistan] means one man, the army chief. So, the whole policy of military vis-a-vis their dealing with the civilian government depends on the personality of one man.”
The “problem”, according to Imran Khan, occurred when Gen Bajwa “favored some of the biggest crooks in this country”.
He claimed that the former army chief wanted his government to turn a blind eye to the “biggest problem” and work in cooperation with the corrupt leaders, “giving them immunity from their corruption cases”.
Earlier this week, he had also called for an internal military inquiry against Bajwa for his alleged “admission” about being involved in the PTI government’s ouster and claimed that policies set in place by the former army chief were still continuing.
Imran said Gen Bajwa could do whatever he wanted and there was no criticism allowed of him. “Whenever there was criticism of him, journalists had to run away. Even Moeed Pirzada is still out of the country.”
Imran questioned Gen Bajwa’s knowledge about economics, expressing surprise over the retired general’s remarks to journalist Javed Chaudhry.
In the column, the ex-army chief said his “crime” was not stepping in to save Imran’s government. He was also quoted as saying that “these people (the PTI) were dangerous for the country”.
“Gen Bajwa had said the economy was messed up and America was not happy with Imran Khan,” the PTI chief said, remarking that the ex-COAS portrayed himself to be an expert on the economy, foreign policy and politics.
