Imran Khan declines to apologize for May 9 riots, says army owes apology

Islamabad: Pakistan's jailed former prime minister Imran Khan has refused to apologise for the May 9 riots that erupted after his arrest last year, asserting that the Army owes him an apology for what he described as his “abduction” 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. Khan also urged the military to nominate their representatives for talks.

Talking about his prison woes, the former prime minister said he twice suffered from food poisoning as he had no refrigerator in his cell to preserve the food properly. Referring to the new Toshakhana reference in which he and his wife Bushra Bibi are the accused, Khan said the case was a “clear violation of the National Accountability Ordinance”.

He claimed still having in his possession the Graff watch, which he is accused of selling in the NAB reference. Khan said he had moved his valuable possessions to a safer location following a raid at his Banigala residence in March last year. He warned of legal proceedings against the NAB chairman, interior minister and those officers who implicated him in “false cases”.

Earlier, the accountability court adjourned till August 7 the proceedings in the 190 million pounds Al-Qadir Trust corruption case. Since Khan’s counsel was unavailable, the cross-examination of investigation officer Mian Umar could not be completed.

The PTI leader’s legal team in an application before Judge Nasir Javed Rana requested that Khan be allowed to call his children. The court issued notices to the jail administration for the same and adjourned the hearing, the report said.

Source: PTI