‘They feared that I might make Lt Gen Faiz the military chief’

ISLAMABAD: PTI chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday claimed that the events within the coalition authorities worry that he’ll appoint Lt Gen Faiz Hameed as the subsequent military chief.

The PTI president hit out on the authorities throughout a seminar on “regime change conspiracy and Pakistan’s instability”, saying: “They feared that I might appoint Lt Gen Faiz. They feared that if this occurred it will spoil their future. Will be executed.

The deposed prime minister mentioned the present rulers are “afraid of the military and the Inter-Services Intelligence” as a result of they know their “corruption” shall be caught sooner or later.

“Imran Khan does not want to save his corruption, he does not want to appoint his army chief,” the PTI chief mentioned.

Khan mentioned that the present rulers declare that he needed to nominate a military chief of his selection.

“I never thought of appointing anyone as the army chief. I have never taken a decision which is not on merit.”

The PTI president slammed the incumbent rulers for allegedly “murdering institutions” and appointing “his people” in every institution.

‘A conspiracy to change the regime’

Moving on to the “regime change conspiracy”, Khan said that the United States does not change regimes for the betterment of a country. He said that he does it only for his own interests, not ours.

He said that in the past, the United States used Pakistan for a “war on terror”, resulting in heavy losses for Islamabad, while its air bases were also used for drone strikes.

“Our interest is that our soil is not used against Afghanistan or any other country. America wanted us to accept the demands of India. He wanted us to forget Kashmir and accept Israel.

Khan said US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu “arrogantly threatened” Pakistan, so could a “sovereign nation” accept such threats.

The PTI president said he was aware of the “conspiracy” to oust his government. “People ask me that if I knew about it, why didn’t I do anything? Well, I never thought that they would appoint Shahbaz Sharif as prime minister.

Addressing neutral people, Khan said that Shahbaz has cases of corruption worth Rs 16 billion registered against him.

The PTI president said that the measures being taken today will lead the country to destruction as a circus is going on in Punjab and the judiciary now has a big responsibility.

‘Azadi from NAB’

Speaking to the seminar participants, former finance minister Shaukat Tarin said the government was formed not to give relief to the people, but to “get freedom from the NAB (National Accountability Bureau)” to the rulers.

In a scathing attack on the government, Tarin said it was so “incompetent” that later this month, a mini-budget is expected – after an agreement is reached with the International Monetary Fund.

On Tuesday night, Pakistan and the IMF developed a comprehensive agreement on the 2022-23 budget to revise the Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) target and reduce expenditure to achieve a revenue surplus in the next financial year.

They are expected to reach an agreement soon.

The former finance minister said there were rumors of a further hike of Rs 50 per liter in the price of petrol, which would increase the burden on the public – who are already getting the commodity worth Rs 234.

‘System change is still incomplete’

Addressing the seminar, senior PTI vice-president Fawad Chaudhry said that Energy Minister Khurram Dastagir has admitted in a television program that the coalition government has come to power to end his affairs.

Last week, during an interview with a private channel, Dastagir had admitted that the leaders of the coalition government knew that there would be massive disqualifications by the end of this year if things continue as per Khan’s plans.

The former information minister said the government used 22 members of the National Assembly (MNA) belonging to PTI to come to power, as he claimed that the then opposition did not have the numbers to oust Khan.

“The no-confidence motion was not local, it was based on a foreign agenda,” he said. Choudhary expressed hope that the Supreme Court would respond to PTI’s prayer on setting up of a commission to probe the alleged foreign conspiracy.

“If you ask me whether the conspiracy to change power has been completed, my answer will be no. Regime change is still complete in Punjab,” mentioned the previous info minister.

‘America’s Agenda’

On her half, senior PTI chief Shireen Mazari mentioned a “conspiracy” had been hatched towards the Khan-led authorities, which led to its ouster two months in the past.

“First there was a conspiracy and then they” [foreign powers] intervened,” she said, criticizing the government for “providing” dialogue and friendship with New Delhi.

The US intensified its “conspiracy” against the PTI chairman after Khan’s refusal to give the airport to the United States, the former human rights activist said.

“Kashmiris are dying and our overseas minister” [Bilawal Bhutto] Proposing to promote trade with India. Trade with India is America’s agenda.

Mazari was referring to Bilawal’s address at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad (ISSI). The Foreign Office said last week that the statements were being “interpreted out of context and portrayed incorrectly.”