Pakistan: Imran Khan reiterates he asked party workers to hold protest before his May 9 arrest

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan has reiterated his earlier statement that he directed his party workers to hold a peaceful protest outside the military's General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi before his arrest on May 9, 2023, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.

Imran Khan's remarks came despite the denials issued by PTI regarding the party founder's confession about the May 9 protests. PTI leaders claimed that Imran Khan "didn't say what is being reported in the media," according to Geo News report.

Recently, the former Pakistan PM acknowledged that he had asked PTI workers to hold a protest outside the GHQ before his arrest last year.

Referring to Imran Khan's statement, former National Assembly speaker and senior PTI leader Asad Qaiser said, "We [categorically] deny this." Despite PTI leadership's denials, Khan once again stood by what he had said earlier, stating that he had confirmed the same in "three vlogs."

While speaking to reporters on Monday, Imran Khan said, "I had told the party to stage a peaceful protest outside GHQ if I get arrested."

The PTI founder said that he had given instructions to hold protests in the cantonment areas of the garrison city, adding that he had mentioned these things a dozen times during the probe, according to a Geo News report.

On being asked about the May 9 protests that witnessed attacks on state properties, including military installations in many parts of Pakistan, Imran Khan said that the protest was not peaceful as the riots were "pre-planned." He stressed that the criticism must be done regardless of the institution.

Khan also shared his views on the "only animals are neutral" statement from 2022. He said, "Neutral doesn't mean animal, it means apolitical. I meant to say the army is non-partisan," while referring to his remark made at a rally in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa's Lower Dir when he was the prime minister in 2022.

The former Pakistan PM has been facing several cases over his alleged involvement in the May 9 riots. On May 9 last year, violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after Imran Khan was arrested. The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers were agitated due to Imran Khan's arrest. Moreover, army installations, including the Corps Commander's house in Lahore, were attacked during the protests by PTI workers.

The then-government, including the incumbent one, has blamed Imran Khan and PTI's senior leadership for orchestrating "organised" attacks on military installations, Geo News reported. Imran Khan, who served as Pakistan's PM from 2018 to 2022, has been incarcerated in Adiala Jail since August 2023 on multiple charges, including the Toshakhana case after his acquittal in iddat case.