• Vows to expel and prosecute supporters implicated by CCTV evidence
• He demands an apology from Rangers officials for the physical assault he suffered during his arrest on May 9.
• The £190m trial could wrap up next week after the prosecution dismissed 14 witnesses.
ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday offered to apologise for the May 9 violence if his involvement in the violent protests by PTI supporters is proven.
His remarks were made while addressing the media at Adiala Prison following the hearing of the N190 million corruption charges against him and Bushra Bibi.
Khan said that if CCTV footage shows that PTI workers have entered and attacked government premises, he would not only apologise but would also ensure that the person is expelled from the party and prosecuted in court.
But the former prime minister noted that despite being “Pakistan’s most popular leader” and highly regarded internationally, he too had been roughly treated, including being dragged off the Islamabad High Court grounds by Rangers on May 9.
Khan reiterated his position that those involved in his arrest owe him an apology.
Khan quoted the ISPR chief as saying at a recent press conference that an army spokesman had said the establishment’s stand on the May 9 incident remains unchanged and said the PTI would also not forget that day.
He said the PTI was also a party that suffered during the May 9 riots as its workers and leaders were tortured and not allowed to take part in the elections.
Khan recalled that he had demanded the setting up of a judicial commission to probe the May 9 violence as there was nothing linking his party to the violence.
Replying to a question about the use of Molotov cocktails, Khan said they were used outside Zaman Park and whoever is identified as having thrown them at the government building must be held accountable.
Regarding the ISPR chief’s remark that the mafia is running a bought-and-sold campaign against Pakistan, Khan said the establishment had talked about the corruption cases of Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari a few years ago but forced it on the country through rigged elections. He said the army was a national institution and everyone should respect its sanctity.
He said former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had appointed an army chief of her own choosing but refused to attack her own people. He claimed the situation in Pakistan was even worse than Bangladesh as it had higher unemployment and inflation than Bangladesh.
He said he was not idealising Bangladesh’s founder Sheikh Mujibur Rehman and only quoted some parts of the Hamoodur Rehman Commission report while giving reasons for the fall of Dhaka.
Khan said the PTI never wanted chaos and was ready to talk with the establishment in the interest of the people, but if someone was not interested in dialogue, he would not insist on it. He expressed fears that the ruling party’s sitting leaders might flee the country and called for them to be placed on an exit control list, adding that his name might also be on the list.
The witness withdrew
The trial in the £190 million case is expected to conclude by next week after NAB dismissed 14 witnesses on Wednesday.
There were 59 prosecution witnesses in the case. Ten witnesses have already been recused by the anti-corruption watchdog, while 35 have been summoned to the accountability court and are being cross-examined by the defence.
The last prosecution witness was a NAB investigator.
The prosecution informed Judge Nasir Javed Rana on Wednesday that 14 witnesses would not be called as the defence had filed an application to summon the remaining witnesses.
The sudden withdrawal of these witnesses creates a situation in which the trial, which should have taken about a month to complete, could end as soon as next week.
Meanwhile, PTI’s lawyers have filed a petition seeking acquittal of Bushra Bibi.
NAB alleges that the cabinet led by then prime minister Imran Khan approved a secret deed in 2019 to return £190 million seized by the UK’s National Crime Agency and returned to Pakistan to real estate tycoon Malik Riaz. The case allegedly saw Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi get billions of rupees and hundreds of kanals of land from Bahria Town in return for “legalising” the money.
Published in Dawn on August 8, 2024
