Imran Khan rules out action against ex-COAS Bajwa upon returning to power

The ex-premier was talking to a delegation of the Council of Pakistan Newspaper Editors (CPNE) at his Zaman Park Mansion in Lahore.

On questions regarding the retired military chief, Imran Khan said his differences with Bajwa were not personal.

Elaborating on what became a bone of contention between them, Imran Khan said General (retd) Bajwa didn’t consider corruption ill.

“I told him [Bajwa] so many times that there are several corruption cases against [prime minister] Shehbaz Sharif, but we came to learn that the ex-COAS didn’t consider corruption a bad thing,” the PTI chief said.

“I told Bajwa that if they held 10-12 powerful corrupt people, everything would get better,” the ex-premier told the delegation.

He added that the retired military chief instead emphasized focusing on the economy and put corruption cases in cold storage.

“It would be wrong to say that we will initiate action against Bajwa upon returning to power,” he asserted.

“We had a decent relation with Gen Bajwa but I don’t know what happened later.”

PTI chairman said that the federation has crashed and warned that Pakistan would default if fresh general elections are not held.

If it happens, he said that the country would backpedal; he added.

Imran Khan said that the dissolution of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Punjab assemblies would force elections in 66% of Pakistan and the government would latch on.

Following the dissolution of assemblies, he said that it would be a challenge for incumbent Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir to ensure elections in the country within three months, noting that the military chief has already declared himself neutral, and it would be a test of his neutrality.

He said that it would be a gross violation of Constitution if elections are not held in the stipulated period.

The former prime minister further said that he will not form a weak government this time as it is unable to produce results.