​‘Those Who Have Left PTI…’: ‘Betrayed’ Imran Khan Talks to Journalists in Pak Court | Exclusive

Talking to journalists in the Islamabad high court off the record, Pakistan’s former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan said that “those who left party have damaged themselves” not him.

“It doesn’t matter if people come and go, thankfully we are free from electables. I am not sad that people have left my party, in fact, they have done themselves a lot of damage,” he said.

“I didn’t betray anyone, I was betrayed. I was the one who was stabbed in the back,” Khan said, adding, “I could have de-notified General Qamar Javed Bajwa thrice, but I didn’t.”

“They think that the PTI will be crushed, but it will not happen,” he said.

‘WILL ESTABLISH RULE OF LAW’

“In [Pak’s interior minister] Rana Sanaullah case, we called the Major General in the cabinet. There was an Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) case against Sanaullah. Major General was its head. Major General briefed the Cabinet. We did not retaliate against Sanaullah. They (establishment) are told that if I come into power, I will take revenge. We are the ummah of the Holy Prophet, he forgave everyone. When I will back in power, I will try to establish rule of law,” Khan said.

“All this is done by those who know that no one will catch them. People were brought into my party during my time, this is completely wrong. Everyone knows who banned me from showing,” he said.

BILAWAL REACTS

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Sunday said that Khan is not against the army’s interference in politics, but is upset with the powerful establishment only because it is no longer supporting him, according to a media report.

“Khan’s problem with the Pakistan Army began in April of last year when it declared that it would not get involved in politics and would not take sides,” Bilawal told Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel on Saturday.

“The PTI chairman’s issue with the army is not that they’re involved in politics; his problem with the army is they’re not getting involved to support him,” he said.

Bilawal said that the role of the army in Pakistan’s politics cannot be denied. “More than half of our history has been covered by military rule. My party, the Pakistan Peoples Party, has challenged each and every single dictatorship in Pakistan’s history.” He said Khan, however, supported every dictatorship in Pakistan, including the last dictatorship of former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

“Khan’s political history is that he has supported every dictator and he supported every autocrat in Pakistan’s history,” he said.

With PTI Inputs