- Talal asks parties and the judiciary to respect the self-responsibility of institutions.
- According to him, the PML-N was confronted with the military regime, the “political dictatorship” of the founder of the PTI.
- The minister says the government is focused on improving lives and ending terrorism.
Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, without naming PTI’s incarcerated founder Imran Khan, said the politics of those who crossed red lines had ended.
Speaking on PK Press Club News show ‘Naya Pakistan’, the state minister said many of Khan’s decisions were actually taken on the advice of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid.
The General Field Court Martial (FGCM) sentenced the former spymaster to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, abusing his authority and causing wrongful loss to people, according to a statement issued on December 11 by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR).
Responding to a question, Talal said the former ISI chief was punished for crossing the red line.
He argued that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was facing both military dictatorship and the “political dictatorship” of the PTI founder.
The PTI came to power in August 2018 and was removed by a vote of no confidence in April 2022.
“Our goal is to improve people’s lives and end terrorism,” he added.
Taking a dig at the former ruling party, he asked, “Could any political party have sought help from India, pushed its agenda and carried out May 9?”
He further questioned why accountability was not ensured for those who harmed the country, saying many of Khan’s decisions were based on Hamid’s advice.
There is a high chance that what happened after the Khan-led government was ousted was done on the advice of Hamid, he said, adding that the whole world knows the connection between the PTI founder and Hamid.
The “beneficiary” of all this was the PTI, while the loss was borne by the people of Pakistan, he added.
Referring to the military court’s verdict in the high-profile case, the minister said institutions are fulfilling their responsibility and urged political parties and the judiciary to do the same.
Earlier, speaking on PK Press Club News show ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath’, Senator Faisal Vawda claimed that the court-martialed former ISI chief would testify against the PTI founder, intensifying legal problems for the latter.
Vawda, a former PTI leader, said Hamid would also present evidence against the incarcerated ex-prime minister.
He insisted that the PTI founder seemed firmly “caught in the legal trap” arising from the May 9 cases, warning that the process would intensify.
The events of May 9 refer to the 2023 riots triggered by the arrest of the PTI founder at the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a corruption case.
During the protests, miscreants targeted civilian and military installations, including the Corps Commander’s House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.
“The influence of the law will not stop there,” he noted, adding that Hamid’s 14-year sentence “will not be reduced.”
Vawda further claimed that providing details of military installations before the events of May 9 “was the responsibility of Faiz Hamid.”
“Once things are clear, the first figure will be that of the PTI and its founder,” he said.
Discussing the role of former army chief, retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Vawda said Bajwa had shown “negligence and incompetence” but later tried to remove Hamid after realizing the implications.
However, he said Bajwa had been found “exonerated”, meaning “no action will be taken against him”.
Speaking on the same show, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif claimed that the events of May 9 were a “joint plan” involving the former ISI chief and the PTI founder.
He claimed that the violence was aimed at “cancelling the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir”.
Asif said PTI founder “could not have achieved May 9 [riots] alone”, saying that Hamid had retained his influence even after his retirement. He added that more cases could still be filed against him.
The minister argued that the civilian authority to appoint the army chief had never been challenged in the past, but insisted that former army chief Bajwa had used pressure and made threats to block Munir’s appointment.
He further claimed that Bajwa initially pushed Hamid to become army chief and then proposed other names to change the process.
