- Talal asks the parties and the judiciary to follow the responsibility of the institutions.
- He says the PML-N faced a military regime and the “political dictatorship” of the PTI founder.
- The minister says the government’s focus is on improving lives and ending terrorism.
Minister of State for Home Talal Chaudhry, without naming jailed PTI founder Imran Khan, said the politics of those who crossed red lines has come to an end.
Speaking on PakGazette News program “Naya Pakistan”, the state minister said that many of Khan’s decisions were actually taken on the advice of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Faiz Hamid.
The Field General Court Martial (FGCM) sentenced the former spy chief to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, abusing authority and causing unjustified loss to people, according to a statement issued by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on December 11.
Replying to a question, Talal said the former ISI chief was punished for crossing red lines.
He argued that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was facing both the military dictatorship and the “political dictatorship” of the PTI founder.
The PTI came to power in August 2018 and was removed by a vote of no confidence in April 2022.
“Our goal is to improve people’s lives and put an end to terrorism,” he added.
Probing about the former ruling party, he asked: “Could any political party have sought help from India, advanced its agenda and carried out May 9?”
He further questioned why accountability had not been ensured for those who harmed the country, stating that many of Khan’s decisions were based on Hamid’s advice.
There is a strong possibility that everything that happened after the overthrow of the Khan-led government was done on Hamid’s advice, he said, adding that everyone knows the nexus between the PTI founder and Hamid.
The “beneficiary” of all this was the PTI, while the loss fell on the people of Pakistan, he added.
Referring to the military court’s verdict in the high-profile case, the minister said institutions are taking responsibility for themselves and urged political parties and the judiciary to do the same.
Earlier, speaking on PakGazette News show “Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath”, Senator Faisal Vawda claimed that the court-martialed former ISI chief was going to testify against the PTI founder, which would intensify the legal woes for the latter.
Former PTI leader Vawda said Hamid will also present evidence against the jailed former prime minister.
He insisted that the PTI founder seemed firmly “caught in the legal pressure” arising from the May 9 cases, and warned that the process would intensify.
The events of May 9 refer to the 2023 riots that were triggered by the arrest of the PTI founder in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises in a corruption case.
During the protests, miscreants attacked civil and military installations, including the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
“The control of the law will not stop here,” he said, adding that Hamid’s 14-year sentence “will not be reduced.”
Vawda further alleged that providing details about the military facilities before the events of May 9 “was the responsibility of Faiz Hamid.”
“Once the matter is clarified, the first number is that of the PTI and its founder,” he said.
Discussing the role of former army chief, retired general Qamar Javed Bajwa, Vawda said Bajwa had shown “negligence and incompetence” but then attempted to remove Hamid after realizing the implications.
However, he said Bajwa had been deemed “exonerated”, meaning “there will be no action against him”.
Speaking on the same programme, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that the events of May 9 were a “joint plan” involving the former ISI chief and the PTI founder.
He claimed that the violence was aimed at “nullifying the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir”.
Asif said the PTI founder “could not have carried out the May 9 [riots] alone,” stating that Hamid maintained his influence even after his retirement. He added that more cases could still be filed against him.
The minister argued that the civilian authority to appoint the army chief had never been questioned in the past, but insisted that former army chief Bajwa had used pressure and threats to block Munir’s appointment.
He further claimed that Bajwa initially pushed for Hamid to become army chief and then proposed other names to disrupt the process.
