By Islamuddin Sajid
ISLAMABAD (AA) – Amid political chaos in Pakistan, former Prime Minister Imran Khan has reiterated his accusation against a senior military officer of the country’s prime intelligence agency, blaming him directly for plotting his assassination.
However, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the powerful military vehemently rejected it in separate statements, calling it "baseless allegations."
"Imran Niazi's act of routinely maligning and threatening (the) Pakistan Army and Intelligence Agency for the sake of petty political gains is highly condemnable. His leveling of allegations without any proof against Gen Faisal Naseer and officers of our Intelligence Agency cannot be allowed and will not be tolerated," Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.
In his latest video statement on Tuesday, Khan accused the country's intelligence agency Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Maj-Gen. Naseer of plotting his assassination.
"I can prove in (an)investigation that this man twice tried to kill me," Khan claimed and questioned Sharif in a series of tweets – are military officers above the law?
The 70-year-old cricketer-turned-politician who leads the center-right Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) party has blamed the military and the incumbent government of the 11-party coalition known as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), led by Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), for his ouster last year, and later blamed them for his assassination attempt on Nov. 3, 2022.
He was shot three times in the left leg, one of his supporters was killed and over a dozen others, including two lawmakers, were injured in the attack, which drew condemnation from across the country and abroad.
Following the country's top court's order to register the case, police registered the First Information Report (FIR) after 96 hours after the attack.
Local police only named Naveed Ahmed as the main suspect, who was arrested shortly after the shooting and confessed to the attack in a video.
However, Khan was adamant about including Sharif, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, and Maj-Gen. Faisal Naseer's names be included in the case.
- Khan raises questions
"As someone who has suffered 2 assassination attempts on his life in last few months, can I dare to ask SS (Shehbaz Sharif) the following Qs: 1. Have I, a citizen, the right to nominate those I feel were responsible for assassination attacks on me?," Khan questioned, adding that he was denied his legal and Constitutional right to file a case based on his assertion.
"If we allege one of them has committed a crime, how is institution being maligned? (And) who was so powerful as to sabotage Wazirabad JIT (joint investigation team) while PTI govt was in power in Punjab?" he asked, adding that does the Sharif tweet mean that military officers are above the law or cannot commit a crime?
Khan was referring to the JIT, which had investigated the first assassination attempt against him.
"Can SS answer why the ISI took over ICT Judicial Complex evening before my appearance there on 18 March? Why were ISI personnel in CTD & lawyers camouflage? What was motive & what business did ISI have in the Complex? When SS can truthfully answer these Qs, all will point to one powerful man & his accomplices all being above the law," Khan further asked Premier Sharif.
On March 18, heavy clashes erupted between local police and supporters of Khan during his appearance in court in Islamabad in a case involving his alleged failure to declare sales of foreign gifts in assets to the Election Commission of Pakistan.
Later, Khan claimed that someone had told him there to leave the court premises as there was a plan to assassinate him.
However, the government denied and rejected Khan's claims.
- Army rejects allegations
On Monday, the Pakistan Army’s media wing, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), also strongly reacted to Khan’s latest accusations, saying in a statement that he has leveled highly irresponsible and baseless allegations against a serving senior military officer without any evidence.
"These fabricated and malicious allegations are extremely unfortunate, deplorable and unacceptable," the ISPR said.
"This has been a consistent pattern for last one year wherein military and intelligence agencies officials are targeted with insinuations and sensational propaganda for the furtherance of political objectives," it said, adding that legal action can be taken against Khan.
Since his ouster from power in April 2022 through a no-trust vote in parliament, Khan has faced a slew of charges ranging from money laundering to terrorism.
He has appeared in person or through his counsel several times. A local court recently granted Khan interim bail in seven cases until May 23.
He has repeatedly accused the government of trying to orchestrate his assassination by compromising his security during court hearings.
The majority of these "sham" cases, as Khan calls them, were filed after his ouster, which he blames on a US-backed conspiracy. Both the incumbent coalition government in Islamabad and the US government have repeatedly denied these allegations.