Former Pakistani PM Imran Khan said during a live address that senior ISI official Major General Faisal Naseer was responsible for the brutal killing of anti-government journalist Arshad Sharif, who was shot dead by the Kenyan police in October.
Sharif had previously fled Pakistan after being subject to several threats from security personnel. His death caused a significant outcry among journalists in Pakistan.
Overview
Besides Shairf’s death, Khan accused Naseer of orchestrating the two assassination attempts against him. In addition, he said that Naseer also tortured his party leader Azam Swati and led other “atrocities” against his party leader.
to register an FIR? Does SS tweet mean mly officers are above the law or that they cannot commit a crime? If we allege one of them has committed a crime, how is institution being maligned?
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) May 8, 2023
3. Who was so powerful as to sabotage Wazirabad JIT while PTI govt was in power in Punjab?
“No person who loves Pakistan can do what this man is doing,” said Khan.
Khan has also previously accused PM Shehbaz Sharif and Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah after he was shot three times during a rally in Wazirabad in November.
Calling on his supporters to join his rallies against the “mafia rules and their handlers,” Khan highlighted that he was ready to continue his protests despite “these murder plans.” To this end, he said, “It is your duty to join me because it is not politics but jehad – fight for real freedom is never politics.”
Khan was arrested earlier today over corruption charges.
WATCH: Pakistan Rangers raid an #Islamabad court to arrest former PM and PTI chief Imran Khan in a corruption case. #Pakistan #ImranKhan #PTI #ShehbazSharif #PakistanRangers pic.twitter.com/29Ija4Cn2r
— Statecraft (@statecraftdaily) May 9, 2023
Responses
Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director-General Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry responded to the allegations, calling them “fabricated and malicious.” He called the former PM’s statements “unfortunate, deplorable, and unacceptable.”
He also offered Khan to take legal recourses and refrain from making “false allegations.” Chaudhry further warned that the army “reserves the right to take legal course of action against patently false and malafide statements and propaganda.”
In response, PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said that Khan was ready to take legal action and had attempted to do so in the past. He welcomed the government’s support for a judicial assessment of the allegation, which he said would be a “very positive step.”
Totally agree with ISPR that a legal recourse should be taken to resolve the allegations . Imran khan has tried to do that by filing an FIR and approaching the supreme court. The institution supporting that legal recourse would be a very positive step forward #BehindYouSkipper
— Asad Umar (@Asad_Umar) May 8, 2023
Similarly, former de facto Pakistan Occupied Kashmir PM Sardar Illyas said that Khan’s statement would create a “gulf” between the military and the citizens. The ousted PTI leader said “attacking” such institutions will make “fears in people’s minds against institutions.”
Shehbaz Sharif also condemned Khan’s statements, criticising the PTI leader’s repeated acts of maligning the Pakistan Army and Intelligence Agency.
In response, Khan questioned whether the army “were above the law,” reiterating his right to question an individual that had led assassination attempts against him.