Pakistan: Jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, who blames the military for his ouster and 12-month prison sentence, said on Sunday it would be “foolish” not to have a good relationship with the military. Ahead of Monday’s anniversary of his jailing on dozens of charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, Khan also said in written responses to questions from Reuters that he has no animosity towards the United States, which he also blames for his ouster from office in 2022. “Given Pakistan’s geographical location and the military’s important role in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship,” Khan wrote in responses provided by his media and legal team. “We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces,” he added. Khan said his criticism since his ouster was directed at individuals, not the military as an institution. “Miscalculations of the military leadership should not be construed as an attack on the entire institution,” he wrote.
” On Wednesday, the opposition leader offered to hold “conditional talks” with the South Asian nation’s military – provided there were “clean and transparent” elections and “fake” cases against his supporters were withdrawn. Pakistan’s military and government did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment on Khan’s remarks. Both have repeatedly denied his claims about his ouster. The United States has also denied any role in it. “Relations between countries should always give priority to the welfare of their respective countries,” Khan said. When people vote you to power, you don’t have the freedom to act on individual grievances.” In his responses, the 71-year-old former cricket star did not clarify what he wanted to discuss with the military. ‘Ready for any talks’ with army
The military, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 76-year independent history, plays a huge role in the politics and governance of the country of 240 million people.
No Pakistani prime minister has served a full five-year term, and most of them have spent time in jail. Analysts say most of them secured their release by striking deals with the military, but the army denies the claim.
Khan, who lost power in a no-confidence motion in parliament after differences with the generals, has said the army is backing politically motivated cases against him, which the military has denied.
Still, he said there was “no harm” in holding talks with the generals if he was released from jail and wanted to return to power. “I have always believed that any political government elected by the people should have an excellent relationship with the military leadership,” he added.
“We are ready for any dialogue that can help improve the grave situation in Pakistan,” he said, adding that it was futile to start any such talks with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s coalition government. Khan says the government does not have public support because his party-backed candidates won the most seats in parliament in an election held in February. Instead, he said it would be “more productive to have a dialogue with those who actually wield power”. The military – which says Khan and his party were behind attacks on military installations during widespread protests against his detention last year – had previously ruled out any talks with him. Khan’s imprisonment has fuelled political instability in Pakistan, which has long faced an economic crisis and received a bailout from the International Monetary Fund last month. Analysts say the instability since Khan’s ouster has forced Islamabad to pay IMF bills including tax hikes.
