ISLAMABAD: Incarcerated former Prime Minister Imran Khan has refused to apologize for the May 9 riots, distancing his party from the violent protests that broke out in the country last year.
The deposed prime minister, in an informal conversation with journalists at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail, expressed his reluctance to tender an apology, stating instead that apologies should be sought from him.
This response was prompted by a question regarding the Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) press conference the previous Tuesday, where demands were made for those involved in the violent protests on May 9 to apologize and renounce anarchic politics before engaging in dialogue.
About May 9, the PTI Chief said that he was under detention at the time and was unaware of those protests, the report added.
“I condemned the May 9 incidents in front of (former) chief justice Umar Ata Bandial,” he added.
Imran Khan has been in custody since August of the previous year, facing charges ranging from corruption to violating the Official Secrets Act.
The military spokesperson categorically dismissed any possibility of dialogue with those who attacked military installations, insisting that those responsible for the May 9 events must be punished according to the Constitution and law.
In response to the linkage between dialogue and apology made by the DG ISPR, the ousted premier asserted his willingness to engage in dialogue for the betterment of Pakistan, stating that if dialogue was not desired, then it could be abstained from. He clarified his lack of interest in striking any deals or fleeing the country.”
