Lahore, Sep 13 (PTI) Former prime minister Imran Khan on Friday held the military establishment responsible for the “disappearance” of his party colleague and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province’s chief minister for “eight hours,” prompting the Pakistan government to launch an investigation into his anti-army tweets.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur last Monday had gone missing for at least eight hours after his fiery speech against the army leadership.
Upon his return, the KP government had said that he couldn’t be accessed for several hours as he was holding an “important law and order meeting in Islamabad.” However, on Friday while talking to journalists at Adiala Jail at Rawalpindi, Khan said the military establishment is responsible for the disappearance of Gandapur.
“Gandapur is not speaking on his brief disappearance out of respect for the army,” he said and was quick to add that Pakistan’s Prime Minister might face a similar fate (of disappearance) as “he needs approval of every decision of his government from the establishment.” Khan said everyone knows who is responsible for such actions in the country, referring to the powerful military.
The founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) said the current situation in Pakistan is reminiscent of “Yahya Khan Part II,” accusing the military establishment of undermining the country’s institutions.
Meanwhile, Federal Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said the Federal Investigation Agency will probe Imran Khan’s anti-institution tweets.
The FIA cybercrime will interrogate him in jail, he said, and added the FIA will see who is running his X account.
Khan, who has been incarcerated at the Adiala Jail since last year, has often criticised the powerful establishment through his longish posts on X.
On Friday, Khan posted a longish note on his X account , which said, “This is not the first time in the history of this country that one individual (referring to Army Chief Gen Asim Munir) has put the entire country at stake to protect his hold on power. (General) Yahya Khan also betrayed the Awami League and Sheikh Mujibur Rahman to stay in power.
“The Hamood-ur-Rehman Commission report clearly states that one person’s desire to prolong and strengthen his hold on power broke the country in two,” he said in the post.
He recalled the events from 1971 when 90,000 soldiers were taken as prisoners during the Bangladesh liberation war and how former president Zulfikar Ali Bhutto himself admitted to the loss of 50,000 innocent lives.
“Even today, the same story is being repeated. Once again, one person has taken over control and is destroying the system to prolong and strengthen his hold on power,” he said adding, a small powerful elite dominates all the resources, power, and control of the country.
The Supreme Court is the only institution somewhat safe from their influence, and now it is also being attacked, he said.
Khan further said that “they” (a reference to the establishment) are forcibly keeping former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League –Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in the country, “otherwise he would have run abroad a long time ago.” PTI MZ NPK NPK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.