Gen Bajwa assured Khawaja Asif of victory, claims Imran Khan

LAHORE: Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has claimed that former chief of army staff (COAS) Gen retd Qamar Javed Bajwa assured PML-N leader Khawaja Asif of victory at the time of no-confidence motion, ARY News reported on Monday.

In an interview, the former premier claimed that the plan to remove his federal government and make Shehbaz Sharif the Prime Minister (PM) was already made.

“[Former envoy] Hussain Haqqani in United States (US) was also hired to portray me anti-American,” Imran Khan alleged, adding that a Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) official was also working with Haqqani in this regard.

He further said that he used to trust former COAS Gen Bajwa, adding that his last meeting with former army chief was held in August 2022. “Gen Bajwa assured [PML-N leader] Khawaja Asif of victory at time of no-confidence motion.

Recalling the assassination attempt in Wazirabad, the former prime minister said that three bullets were taken from his right leg from the shooting. “I could not file my first information report (FIR),” he said, adding that the justice system was exposed in this whole scenario.

Imran Khan pointed out that a country cannot develop until there is rule of law, regretting that during Gen Bajwa’s tenure, the rule of law was destroyed in the country.

He reiterated that Gen Bajwa was against accountability and did not consider corruption ‘bad’. “The former army chief gave NRO-II to the incumbent leaders as I was against to make a deal,” he added.

Imran Khan maintained that ‘immediate and transparent’ elections were the only solution to country’s current situation, adding that new elections would bring political and economic stability to the country.

It is pertinent to mention here that Imran Khan was ousted as prime minister (PM) as the no-confidence motion moved by opposition parties against him succeeded.

As many as 174 votes were cast in the favour of a no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan. This was the first time in the history of Pakistan that a no-confidence motion against an elected prime minister has succeeded.