ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan announced on Friday that the PTI’s highly anticipated August 22 rally in Islamabad was postponed to September 8 in order to prevent bloodshed like to that of May 9. Speaking with members of the media during the hearing in the GBP 190 million corruption case at the accountability court housed inside the Adiala jail, Mr. Khan gave an explanation for why he met Azam Khan Swati early on August 22.
He claimed that at the meeting, Mr. Swati told him about the demonstrations that other political and religious groups had scheduled on the same day in Islamabad. When asked if Mr. Swati had served as a go-between for him and certain government officials, the PTI chief responded by labelling the government as a creation of Form-47, something he would not compromise on.
Mr. Khan claimed that the government began bringing up the May 9 incident whenever it believed he was in communication with the establishment. He claimed that the August 22 jalsa had been postponed to minimize pandemonium in case there was another incident similar to the one that happened on May 9. He brought up the PTI’s call for a legal investigation into the violence.
But he added, “I have told the party leaders not to tolerate any hurdle in the way of holding a power show,” and the party would stage demonstrations in Islamabad on September 8. He questioned how the district administration could revoke the NOC granted with the court’s approval, characterizing its cancelation as a stain on the judiciary’s integrity and giving PTI permission to hold the protest.
In addition, Mr. Khan said he had given the party leaders instructions to call a conference and schedule a protest date in response to the Supreme Court’s protracted delay in providing a comprehensive ruling in the reserved seats case. The former prime minister responded to criticism regarding his demand for an open trial of former ISI chief Faiz Hameed by stating that, as the leader of the nation’s biggest political party, he could request open proceedings in the military court because it is highly likely that he and the former spymaster plotted the May 9 violence together.
He emphasized that the open trial would be advantageous for the nation and that it is neither an internal military matter nor one that is covered by the Official Secrets Act. He claimed that martial law would not have been imposed if the Hamoodur Rehman Commission’s recommendations had been followed.
Nawaz Sharif is prepared to return to London, according to Mr. Khan. The PTI leader asserted that the government is attempting to extend the tenure of current Chief Justice Qazi Faez Isa and threatened to manipulate the seniority system to elevate the candidate of their choosing if they were unable to do so.
