PTI founder presents conditions to apologise over May 9 events

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) incarcerated founder Imran Khan announced to offer a conditional apology for the May 9 riots, provided that the CCTV footage of the events is made public, ARY News reported.

Speaking to media representatives at Adiala Jail, Imran Khan said that the footage will help identify the culprits, who he said should be brought to justice.

“If the culprits are found to be affiliated with the PTI, I will not only expel them from the party but also apologise,” he added.

The PTI founder said that his party is the ‘victim’ of the May 9 incidents, questioning as to why the evidence is being hidden.

“Hiding evidence is a crime,” Imran Khan said.

The PTI founder said that he was ‘kidnapped’ on the pretext of an arrest, demanding that an apology should be sought from him over his ‘abduction’.

The PTI founder said that peaceful protest is their right while reiterating his demand that the CCTV footage be released to identify the true culprits.

‘Ready to talk with army for the sake of country’

Imran Khan said that if he was afraid of the May 9 incidents, he would not have demanded a judicial commission to probe into the riots.

The PTI founder also once again expressed willingness to hold talks with the army and said, “The army is a national institution, and its protection is everyone’s responsibility. We do not want chaos; I am ready to talk with the army for the sake of the country.”

“We used petrol bombs in Zaman park’

To a query, Imran Khan said that PTI did not use petrol bombs on May 9; however, he admitted that petrol bombs were used in Zaman Park by the party supporters.

“We used petrol bombs in Zaman Park, Lahore, and nowhere else. If our organisational official is found involved in throwing petrol bombs at buildings of the institution, he should be punished severely,” the PTI founder added.

Read More: PTI founder stands by his statement of ‘talks with army’

Earlier on August 3, Imran Khan said  that he is ready to hold talks but only within the constitutional limits.

“I will hold talks while staying within the Constitution,” the PTI founder said while speaking to reporters inside the Adia jail.

“We are ready to hold talks with the military. The army should nominate their representative for negotiations,” Khan had said.

Continuing on the prospects of negotiations, the former prime minister reiterated the party’s longtime demand for their allegedly stolen mandate to be returned.

Responding to a question Mahmood Khan Achakzai has allegedly refused to talk with the army, Khan said: “Achakzai will only [hold] talk with political parties.”