———– Rejects allegations of maintaining contact with ex-ISI chief, asserting he became irrelevant after retiring
———– Tarar asks Imran to stop meddling in military affairs
ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has called for an open court trial of ex-ISI chief Faiz Hameed, insisting that the matter is not an internal military issue.
During an informal conversation with journalists, Imran stated that the army chief should facilitate a transparent trial for General (retd) Faiz, clarifying that his association with the ex-ISI chief is no longer relevant post-retirement.
“General Faiz became insignificant after retirement. How could he benefit me in any way?” he questioned, dismissing the notion that he maintains contact with the former DG ISI.
The former premier further emphasised that if Gen (retd) Faiz is indeed the mastermind behind the May 9 conspiracy, then the trial should be held openly. He added that the incident was a local issue rather than a matter of national security. Imran expressed concern that subjecting him to a military trial would damage Pakistan’s global image, reiterating his belief that the matter should be resolved in a civil court, not a military one, as it concerns a civilian leader, not the army’s internal operations.
On Saturday, the former premier had said that he does not feel intimidated by the arrest of Faiz Hameed. He stated that if he were afraid, he would not have called for a judicial commission.
Imran criticised former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s claims that PTI had ruined the economy, referring to the Economic Survey of Pakistan to counter the allegations.
He pointed out that the previous government left a $19.5 billion deficit, which necessitated PTI’s engagement with the IMF.
Earlier, Minister for Information, Broadcasting, Culture and National Heritage Attaullah Tarar on Wednesday said PTI founder had meddled in the affairs of Pakistan Army by demanding an open trial for ex-Spy Chief.
The minister, in a news statement, regretted that the PTI founder had made multiple attempts to make the matter related to Faiz Hameed controversial.
Instead of giving statements in defense of Faiz Hameed, the PTI founder should better made his position clear in the 190 million pounds case, Tarar said, adding his controversial statements showed that he was suffering from “serious anxiety and uncertainty”.
The minister said the PTI founder was reluctant to accept that the issue of Faiz Hameed was internal matter of the Army, which proved that the ex-spy chief was his “asset”.
He said it seemed that the PTI chief was in mental disarray as sometime he called Faiz Hameed an “asset or a hero”, while on some occasion took completely an otherwise stance.
In the Faiz Hameed case, he said it appeared that the PTI founder had no qualms about using people for his own personal interests.
The minister said the PTI founder was expert in ditching his own well wishers. –Agencies
