ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former Prime Minister Imran Khan has offered a conditional apology for the May 9 riots as he served one year into his prison term.
Speaking to the media after a court hearing related to the £190 million reference at Adiala Jail, Khan stated that he would apologize if Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and leaders were found to be involved in the violent protests that erupted last year following his arrest from the Islamabad High Court in a corruption case.
Khan’s conditional apology came after Director General Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry’s press conference on Monday last. In that briefing, Chaudhry reiterated the armed forces’ stance on the May 9 riots, affirming that their position remained unchanged from the May 7 press conference. During the May 7 conference, DG ISPR had declared that it was not possible to engage with “any political ideology, any political leader, or any political group” involved in attacks on its own army.
The ISPR statement came in response to a question regarding Imran Khan’s July 31 offer for talks with the army and called on the military to appoint its representatives for the negotiations.
Speaking to the media, PTI’s founding chairman asserted that if the CCTV footage reveals any PTI members involved in the May 9 incidents, he would take strict action against them, including expulsion from the party and appropriate legal consequences.
He said “The CCTV footage from May 9 should be released first. If any members are identified, they will be expelled and punished.”
In a separate interview with Reuters on August 4, Khan stressed the importance of maintaining strong relations with the military, describing it as “foolish” to do otherwise. He reiterated this point in a written statement at Adiala Jail, where he marked one year of imprisonment on August 5.
In a written response to questions at Adiala Jail, Imran Khan reiterated his belief that strengthening ties with the military is essential.
