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Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan continued on Sunday his criticism of former Army chief Gen. (retd.) Qamar Javed Bajwa, alleging that his “set-up” in the security establishment is still working to prevent the PTI from returning to power.
In an informal meeting with journalists at his Zaman Park residence in Lahore, Khan accused Bajwa of “stabbing me in the back,” while reiterating that the former Army chief had no interest in accountability of “corrupt individuals.” Claiming that this “change” had been visible after Bajwa received an extension to his tenure, Khan said he was “slowly” given a message to “give up on the matter of accountability.”
According to Khan, Bajwa had hired ex-envoy Husain Haqqani to lobby for him in Washington—a claim repeatedly denied by Haqqani. He went on to claim that the campaign to brand him “anti-American”—triggered by Khan’s own allegations of a foreign conspiracy—was launched from Pakistan. He also claimed that Bajwa had described him as a “playboy” during their last meeting. “I told him ‘yes, I was a playboy’,” he said.
Alleging that three PTI MPAs were being “pressured” by the incumbent military leadership to abstain from the vote of confidence pending for Punjab Chief Minister Parvez Elahi, he claimed he had details on these claims but did not share any. Reiterating his calls for the establishment to intervene, he said it could play a “decisive” role in steering the country out of its prevailing political and economic crises through fresh elections.
To a question, Khan claimed “they” were uniting the MQM’s various factions under one platform in Karachi and also working to persuade the Balochistan Awami Party to join the PPP. He also rubbished any return to Parliament of the PTI, claiming this would be akin to accepting the validity of the ruling coalition.
Pledged narratives
Separately, in a video statement, the PTI chief said Pakistan had no choice but to return to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) or risk default—even if it meant more difficulty for the general public. Khan was flanked by Dr. Sania Nishtar, who briefed the public on the funds collected for flood relief through three telethons organized by the PTI.
According to Nishtar, approximately Rs. 15 billion was pledged, but actual receipts were only Rs. 4.6 billion. Of this, she said, Rs. 3.4 billion were deposited in the Punjab chief minister’s flood relief account, while Rs. 1.2 billion had been given to the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister. Collectively, she said, they had spent Rs. 3.6 billion, while Rs. 1 billion had been allocated for the Sindh government but would only be released after the provincial government shared survey data of losses.
She also claimed that some funds were considered “pledged” but had not been received in the PTI’s accounts, as donors wished to allocate the money as per their own wishes.