‘Bajwa claimed I was dangerous for Pakistan’: Imran Khan’s bombshell interview
Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said that the conspiracy to push him out of the post began while he was in office, as he claimed that political forces within Pakistan swayed Washington to portray him as an enemy of the US.
Accusing the West of double standards and defending his own non-aligned policy in international affairs, Imran Khan told Newsweek, “So, what happened subsequently was unique in Pakistan, because on April 9 last year, my government was removed. And on April 10, which has never happened in this country, hundreds and thousands of people came out on the streets to protest.”
“When the people came out, it was a shock to everyone, including myself. By the way, I’d never expected people because we never planned it. It was a spontaneous reaction. And then I went to the public, had a series of rallies, and all were massive rallies, bigger than any rallies in Pakistan. And then there were by-elections. So, my party swept.”
Imran Khan was pushed out of power following a no-confidence vote in April last year which was followed by a slew of charges lodged against him.
“Well, the people who conspired to pull down my government, which was the ex-Army Chief [Qamar Javad Bajwa], and afterwards, he quite clearly stated [as such]. Because within his own circles, within the army circles, they kept asking, “Why did they remove me?” So, he actually then justified it that I was dangerous. He claimed I was dangerous for Pakistan. And they gave some other reasons, too.”
On assassination attempts against him, Imran Khan said, “There were two, by the way, there was another assassination attempt on me on March 18. They were part of that, whatever happens, I can’t come back.”
Talking about the cases against him, the former Pakistan PM said, “Then, this false flag operation, which happened on May 9, they could easily have come and pick me up, the police could have come and said, “Here’s your warrant, and we’re taking you to jail.” That could have happened, but instead, while I’m sitting in the High Court [of Islamabad], I have this commando operation where they come and smash everything…They beat up everyone. I was hit over my head.”
“And then they took me away like I was some sort of the biggest terrorist in this country, not someone who was having the biggest party in the country. But the moment I was in the jeep, suddenly they were completely polite, very courteous and polite.”
“It was unlawful, clearly what they did was unlawful. They call it abduction. It wasn’t an arrest,” he asserted.