Imran Khan claims his ties with Bajwa soured over accountability drive

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan has claimed that the relations between him and the former chief of army staff (COAS) Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa (retd) soured because the latter “did not want accountability in the country.” Talking to journalists here, he claimed that he had a good working relationship with the former army chief, but a change in behaviour was noticed following the extension.

He further claimed that former envoy Hussain Haqqani was “hired” in the United States (US) to lobby against him. “Haqqani kept campaigning in United States (US) to prove me anti-American,” he added.

The PTI Chairman said that the “establishment can play an important role in getting out of all crises, including the economy.”

He reiterated that transparent elections were the only way out to bring stability to the country. “Let there be transparent elections in the country and make a sustainable government,” he maintained.

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In response to government’s advice of returning to the parliament, Imran said that “there is no benefit” in returning to the National Assembly. “What will we do by going to the National Assembly, there is no benefit,” he said.

Imran Khan criticised Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and said he “knows nothing about Afghanistan” and claimed that his government had an “excellent” relationship with the current Afghan regime.

Speaking about the rising terrorism in Pakistan, the former prime minister claimed that an uptick in terrorism was a result of an ‘inside job’.

“Dollars can be earned by selling terrorism. Musharraf also earned dollars by selling terrorism but 80,000 lives were lost,” he added.

He also criticised the incumbent government for appointing Najam Sethi as the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) Management Committee, saying that the journalist does not know the ABC of cricket.

“The PCB constitution was changed to bring Najam Sethi. Unfortunately, because of him, cricket has been ruined before and will be again,” he stated.

Imran also said that the Pakistan team had reached the final under former PCB chairman Ramiz Raja. “He (Raja) is an educated man, he understands cricket, what does Najam Sethi know?” questioned Imran.