Former PM of Pakistan Imran Khan.
Highlight
- Senior PTI leader says Imran Khan did not approach Pakistan Army to end standoff
- Shireen Mazari, who was Human Rights Minister in the previous cabinet, wrote on Twitter
- Mazari said that the army had made three proposals to Khan.
A senior leader of Pakistan’s ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party on Friday dismissed the army’s claim that the former prime minister had approached the army high command to end the political deadlock.
Shireen Mazari, who was the Human Rights Minister in the previous cabinet, made a counterclaim on Twitter, claiming that it was actually the army that sought a meeting with Khan through Defense Minister Pervez Khattak.
He also said that the army made three proposals to Khan, which included either facing a no-confidence motion, resigning from his post or holding fresh elections in return for withdrawing the opposition’s no-confidence motion.
“Let me clarify – I’m telling on the record [that the] PM didn’t call army for help on ‘breaking political deadlock’.”
“Army demanded meeting through then Defense Minister Pervez Khattak and he put forward 3 proposals for PM to resign or participate in VNC (vote of no confidence) or new election!” Mazari of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party said. His statement came a day after military spokesman Major General Babar Iftikhar declared that the army high command stayed away from political wrangling and the army chief met Khan only once at his request.
Asked whether the army had approached the former prime minister and given him three options, as revealed by Khan in an interview, Iftikhar denied it, saying it was actually the Prime Minister’s Office. who had approached the Army Chief to find a solution. political deadlock.
“It is unfortunate that our political leadership was not ready to talk to each other. So the Army Chief and the Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence went to the Prime Minister’s Office and three scenarios were discussed,” he told a press conference. on Thursday. Iftikhar also said that Khan had agreed to the option of withdrawing the no-confidence motion and then dissolving the assemblies, but the joint opposition rejected the idea. An army spokesman also said that “no option was given on behalf of the establishment.”
In another tweet, Mazari dismissed the notion that Khan was ready to resign and call for fresh elections.
“Why would Imran Khan give the option to resign when he had already clearly stated and repeatedly he would never resign. Couldn’t understand anything! Also Imran Khan categorically dismissed the VNC as a conspiracy to change the foreign regime. So why would he suggest these alternatives. Absurd!” she said.
The three options first surfaced in an interview with ARY News prior to his expulsion by Khan. He said the “establishment” had given him three options.
“We said election is the best option, I can’t even think of resigning and as far as the no-confidence motion is concerned, I believe in fighting till the end,” he said.
Pakistan’s political crisis began on 8 March when a no-confidence motion was filed and ended on 9 April when Khan became the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to opt out of such a move.
read also , China, Pakistan plotting to make new lethal bio-weapons? the report says so
read also , Pakistan Army says no ‘conspiracy’ against Imran Khan but demarcation issued to US for ‘interference’