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Information Minister Attaullah Tarar on Sunday rebutted former prime minister Imran Khan’s allegations against the senior military leadership in connection with the Toshakhana case, saying they were “false, fabricated and baseless”.
The former premier had alleged that the senior military leadership “implicated” him and his wife Bushra Bibi in the Toshakhana reference “in an attempt to stifle my spirits”.
Imran and his spouse were sentenced to 14 years in jail in the case in January, days before the February 8 general elections.
Last week, the Islamabad High Court suspended the sentences, However, appeals against the convictions in the case are still pending.
A post shared on Imran’s official account on X gave a transcript of his conversation with reporters at Adiala Jail — where he is currently incarcerated — on Saturday. Imran claimed that the senior military leadership was “driving the state affairs”.
The PTI founder, referring to a “London Plan” — which he has also spoken about on previous occasions — alleged that it was “plotted with the nexus” of the current army chief and former premier Nawaz Sharif, and that “in order to execute it, judges were on-boarded, and they were appointed by the Inter-Services Intelligence”.
The former premier further claimed that he had also relayed a message to the military leadership through former president Arif Alvi that he knew about the so-called “London Plan” and that “we are not your enemies”.
Last year, Imran had challenged the army chief to prove any corruption case against him and his wife.
Responding to his allegations today, Tarar said they stemmed “from a state of panic and despair”.
“Totally false, fabricated and baseless allegations without any proof or evidence,” the minister said in a post on X.
“[Imran Khan] and his spouse have both been involved in the Toshakhana heist, audios have proven the level of involvement in corruption and embezzlement,” Tarar asserted.
“Attacks on state institutions like the one on May 9 and running disrespectful campaigns against martyrs have been his policy,” he stated, adding that the “truth cannot be concealed through propaganda and blatant lies”.
The information minister said a “state of panic” at the Adiala jail was evident from Imran’s statements.
Never fought with or maligned army: Imran
Meanwhile, in the transcript of yesterday’s talk with reporters that was shared on X, Imran also said some PTI leaders were still in contact with the military establishment.
He said that former PTI leader Ali Zaidi “was also in contact”. “I will not accept anyone’s slavery and would prefer death over it,” the ex-prime minister said.
The PTI founder said he “never fought with or maligned the army” despite ex-army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa “stabbing us in the back”.
Imran further said that when he was arrested in August last year, the police “took away” his passport and cheque book from his bedroom. “Then the ISI forced Inam Shah and an employee of Toshakhana to become witnesses against me,” he claimed.
The ex-PM alleged that intelligence agencies had asked his staffers to turn “approver” against him. According to the ex-premier, the country was facing a 1970s-like situation.
About the incumbent government, Imran claimed that “the ‘king’ is covertly handling the affairs, while [interior minister] Mohsin Naqvi is operating as a viceroy”. He further claimed that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif “commands no power”.
Referring to the recent letter by six IHC judges, Imran said, “The judges are revealing that intelligence agency operatives are blatantly threatening them.”
Recalling that former information minister Fawad Chaudhry had “denounced PTI”, Imran claimed he was “still kept in detention in an attempt to force him to become a witness against me”.
Fawad was released from the Adiala jail on Friday after he was granted bail by the IHC in a graft case.
“If Parvez Elahi and Shah Mahmood Qureshi hold a press conference today, all charges against them will be dropped,” the PTI founder asserted.