Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan on Thursday continued to distance himself from former spy chief Lt. Gen. (retd.) Faiz Hameed, saying he welcomed the Army’s process of “internal accountability.”
In an informal interaction with journalists at Adiala Jail after a hearing of the £190 million corruption case, he said Defense Minister Khawaja Asif’s claims of a potential link between Hameed and the May 9, 2023 riots “should be investigated.” He reiterated that the riots were triggered by his arrest and the probe should determine who ordered this to ascertain the identity of the person responsible for the unrest. He also repeated his call for CCTV footage to “prove” who was actually involved in the rioting.
In yet another repetitive utterance, the PTI founder alleged the May 9 riots were part of the “London Plan” aimed at toppling his government. In this regard, he accused Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa, Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Aamer Farooq and Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja of being complicit in the so-called plot. However, at the time of Khan’s ouster, the CJP was Umar Ata Bandial, while the IHC CJ was Justice Athar Minallah.
During his conversation, Khan alleged, once again, that former Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa had plotted to oust the PTI government to secure another extension to his tenure. He claimed Bajwa had removed Hameed from the post of ISI chief on the demand of Nawaz Sharif and Shehbaz Sharif, adding this had created a rift between the office of the prime minister and the Army chief. Khan claimed Hameed was a “great asset,” adding he had a good relationship with the Afghan Taliban and the TTP that could have been utilized to ensure security.