Never thought of appointing army chief of my choice: Imran Khan

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday while taking a dig at the government said that he had never thought about appointing army chief of his choice.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad on Wednesday, he said that he had told 11 years ago that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) will join hands. He said that their only purpose is to protect themselves from accountability.

Reacting to the recent statement of federal minister Khurram Dastagir, Imran Khan said that he had never thought about appointing army chief of his choice, adding that he had never compromised on merit throughout his life.

Taking a jibe at the rulers, the former PM said that he had started struggle against them 26 years ago, adding that he had told 26 years ago that former PM and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and former president and PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari are plunderers.

The PTI chairman went on to say that they [Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari] only level allegations against each other’s during the election days, adding that he had no doubt that they would join hands when he [Imran Khan] came to power.

“They toppled my government out of the fear that I would make General Faiz Hameed as new army chief,” he added.

Imran Khan maintained that the US doesn’t do regime change for the betterment of the country but for their own benefits. He asked if it was in Pakistan’s interest to allow US to have a base in the country.

“Pakistan was devastated in the war on terror with bomb blasts” he said and added the head of our country was threatened over not participating in the war on terror. “I know tribal areas more than anyone else does and there was complete peace in tribal areas before war on terror.”

The PTI chairman said that media was heavily bribed before regime change, adding that he was called “Taliban Khan” and the whole media bashed him for opposing war.

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