File photo of PTI founder Imran Khan
Reiterating his criticisms of alleged rigging during the 2024 general elections, incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan foresaw, once again, a situation similar to that of post-default Sri Lanka in the country.
This isn’t the first time Khan has claimed Pakistan would face a crisis like that of Sri Lanka. He had previously made similar claims throughout his anti-government protests in 2022 and 2023, linking it to the country’s economic doldrums. “My all predictions have come true,” Khan told journalists during an informal interaction at Adiala Jail on the sidelines of a hearing of the £190 million scandal.
He also rubbished claims he was “negotiating” with the establishment, claiming all such reports were based on lies. “Like the election was a lie … the security threat was also a lie,” he claimed, referring to the terror alert cited by the Punjab government to ban all visits to Adiala Jail for two weeks.
Claiming voters had taken “revenge” on Feb. 8, but the “change via vote was not accepted,” the PTI founder said his party would continue its peaceful protests against alleged rigging while simultaneously approaching the Supreme Court for legal relief.
To a question, Khan predicted “horse-trading” in forthcoming Senate elections and lamented he was being denied access to his lawyers. He also claimed that a fresh bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) would trigger a new wave of inflation, pushing the masses to the streets.