Islamabad, Aug 4: Pakistan’s jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has refused to apologise for the May 9 riots that erupted after his arrest last year and claimed that it was the Army that owed him an apology since he was “abducted” by the paramilitary rangers on the day of the violence.Khan, 71, was on May 9, 2023, arrested by the Pakistan Rangers from the Islamabad High Court premises during his appearance in a corruption case.
His arrest sparked countrywide protests and riots by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf supporters who damaged civilian as well as military installations across the country.
Army spokesman Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif on May 7 this year said any dialogue with the PTI could happen if the party apologised for its “politics of anarchy”.
The statement was followed by calls from different quarters that Khan founded PTI to apologise for the “Black Day” violence.
Khan during a media talk on Saturday at the Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi when asked whether he would tender an apology for the May 9 violence, said he had no reason to apologise, further adding that he was arrested by the rangers headed by a serving major general from the premises of the Islamabad High Court, the Dawn newspaper reported.
The former premier, who over the past few weeks has repeatedly expressed his willingness to talk to the army and not with the government, reiterating his position, said he would only hold talks with the “real authority” as negotiations with the government were “a futile exercise”.
He alleged that talks with the government would be counterproductive as there is an unannounced martial law in the field.
The cricketer-turned-politician also added that talks with “people in the power corridors” would be within the ambit of the Constitution.
Dawn further reported that responding to a question that senior politician and his ally Mahmood Khan Achakzai has declined to become the focal person for proposed talks with the establishment, Khan said the senior leader had been nominated to negotiate with political parties.
Earlier this week, the former premier said his party was ready for talks with the military establishment but laid down preconditions: the return of his party’s “stolen mandate”, the release of all detained party workers, and the holding of transparent elections.