In an unusual invasion on Pakistan’s military, ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan admitted that his government was “weak” and “blackmailed from everywhere” because power was not with him and “everyone knows where that is.” Imran Khan was deposed in April after having lost a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he claimed was part of a US-led conspiracy to destabilize him due to his independent foreign policy decisions on Russia, China, and Afghanistan.
According to Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper, in an interview with Bol News on Wednesday, Imran Khan was asked to remember the events of the night of the no-confidence ballot against him, who was issuing orders, and who had hampered the cases against Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief stated that his government was “weak” when it came to power and had to seek ruling coalition, adding that if the same situation arose again, he would choose re-elections and actively sought a majority government or none at all.
“Our options were limited. We were blackmailed from all sides. We didn’t have any power. Everyone in Pakistan knows where the power is, so we had to rely on them “Without saying who he was referring to, the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said.
Imran Khan, who came to power in 2018 with the military’s support, is the only Pakistani Prime Minister to be deposed in a no-confidence vote in Parliament. Shehbaz Sharif of the PML-N took his place.
He stated that having a “strong army” was necessary due to the threat posed by enemies, but that there was also a need to strike a “balance” between having a strong armed force and a strong government.
“We were completely reliant on them. They did a lot of good things as well, but they didn’t do as many things as they should have. They wield power because they control organisations such as the NAB (National Accountability Bureau), which we did not control “He stated.
According to the former Prime Minister, while his government had obligation, it did not have complete power and authority.
The Pakistan Army, which has governed the coup-prone country for more than half of its 73-year history, has traditionally wielded significant power in matters of security and foreign policy. The army, on the other hand, has consistently denied any involvement in politics.
