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Former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday called for immediate talks with state officials, as pressure mounted on him amid a crackdown on top aides and supporters that has seen thousands arrested as well as many leaving his party.
Khan has been embroiled in a conflict with the military since he was removed from power last year in a parliamentary vote he says was orchestrated by the country’s top generals. The army denies this.
The confrontation intensified when earlier this month, supporters of Khan took part in violent protests after his brief arrest on May 9.
“I would like to demand talks, because what is happening now is not a solution,” Khan said in a live interview broadcast on YouTube, warning that the country was heading towards chaos.
Political turmoil has worsened as Pakistan faces its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation is at record levels, economic growth is weak, and there are fears that the country may default on foreign debt unless the International Monetary Fund opens up the payments arrears.
party resignations
Most of Khan’s top lieutenants were arrested soon after his supporters stormed and set fire to a number of military installations across the country. Several of them were released and soon after announced their resignation from Khan’s party. Dozens of other middle-class leaders also left.
Khan said they were forced to resign under duress in an attempt to weaken him and break up his party. He distanced his party from the attacks on military facilities during the unrest that followed his arrest and reiterated the call for an investigation to identify those involved.
Khan’s party members said they were leaving of their own volition. Many of them indicated their concerns for their families and their health.
But the former prime minister struck a defiant tone, warning that his party’s popularity was only rising because of repression and he would still win elections whenever they were held. He said he only wanted to talk to get the country out of the current crisis.
National elections are due by November, and opinion polls show Khan remains the most popular leader in the country.
Khan said earlier this week that he would set up a committee to conduct negotiations.
He says previous attempts to talk to the country’s powerful generals have gone unanswered. The civilian government, a coalition of his political opponents, has not indicated it wants to talk as the crackdown on his party continues.
Military courts
Interior Minister Rana Sanalla said on Friday that the call for talks came as pressure mounted on his party and supporters, as 33 of them were handed over to the army to stand trial before military courts on charges of attacking facilities of the armed forces.
The 33 defendants are among the thousands arrested since Khan’s arrest on May 9 sparked violent protests across Pakistan.
Khan was arrested for corruption, which he denies, and then released on bail.
“The accused who are being handed over to the army are the ones who bypassed and entered very sensitive defense installations,” Sanaullah said at a news conference in Islamabad.
He said that only those involved in violating off-limits areas will face trial under the laws of the army, indicating that there will be no mass trials in military courts.
But in response to a question, he also suggested that Khan could be tried by a military court, saying, “As far as my own estimation and the evidence we have… this guy is the architect of all this mess and planning, so yes, he falls under that category.”
Rights groups have raised concerns about military trials for civilians, saying they cannot guarantee a fair trial. Such courts are closed to outsiders and the media.
After a ruling is issued by the military courts, the minister said, the defendants will have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court and then the Supreme Court.
Khan has been embroiled in a conflict with the military since he was removed from power last year in a parliamentary vote he says was orchestrated by the country’s top generals. The army denies this.
The confrontation intensified when earlier this month, supporters of Khan took part in violent protests after his brief arrest on May 9.
“I would like to demand talks, because what is happening now is not a solution,” Khan said in a live interview broadcast on YouTube, warning that the country was heading towards chaos.
Political turmoil has worsened as Pakistan faces its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation is at record levels, economic growth is weak, and there are fears that the country may default on foreign debt unless the International Monetary Fund opens up the payments arrears.
party resignations
Most of Khan’s top lieutenants were arrested soon after his supporters stormed and set fire to a number of military installations across the country. Several of them were released and soon after announced their resignation from Khan’s party. Dozens of other middle-class leaders also left.
Khan said they were forced to resign under duress in an attempt to weaken him and break up his party. He distanced his party from the attacks on military facilities during the unrest that followed his arrest and reiterated the call for an investigation to identify those involved.
Khan’s party members said they were leaving of their own volition. Many of them indicated their concerns for their families and their health.
But the former prime minister struck a defiant tone, warning that his party’s popularity was only rising because of repression and he would still win elections whenever they were held. He said he only wanted to talk to get the country out of the current crisis.
National elections are due by November, and opinion polls show Khan remains the most popular leader in the country.
Khan said earlier this week that he would set up a committee to conduct negotiations.
He says previous attempts to talk to the country’s powerful generals have gone unanswered. The civilian government, a coalition of his political opponents, has not indicated it wants to talk as the crackdown on his party continues.
Military courts
Interior Minister Rana Sanalla said on Friday that the call for talks came as pressure mounted on his party and supporters, as 33 of them were handed over to the army to stand trial before military courts on charges of attacking facilities of the armed forces.
The 33 defendants are among the thousands arrested since Khan’s arrest on May 9 sparked violent protests across Pakistan.
Khan was arrested for corruption, which he denies, and then released on bail.
“The accused who are being handed over to the army are the ones who bypassed and entered very sensitive defense installations,” Sanaullah said at a news conference in Islamabad.
He said that only those involved in violating off-limits areas will face trial under the laws of the army, indicating that there will be no mass trials in military courts.
But in response to a question, he also suggested that Khan could be tried by a military court, saying, “As far as my own estimation and the evidence we have… this guy is the architect of all this mess and planning, so yes, he falls under that category.”
Rights groups have raised concerns about military trials for civilians, saying they cannot guarantee a fair trial. Such courts are closed to outsiders and the media.
After a ruling is issued by the military courts, the minister said, the defendants will have the right to appeal to the Supreme Court and then the Supreme Court.
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