"Please, don't drag army into politics:" Imran Khan on DG ISPR's presser

Reacting to the Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif's fiery press conference, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan requested him not to drag the army into politics.

He made the remarks in an informal conversation with the journalists at Adiala jail, where the former prime minister is incarcerated.

A day earlier, Director General (DG) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Maj-Gen Ahmed Sharif held a press conference over Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions in Rawalpindi, in which he lashed out at PTI and its leadership for the May 9, 2023, riots.

Commenting on PTI's demand to form a judicial commission to probe May 9 attacks, the army spokesman said that the military had no objection to the judicial inquiry.

"The [judicial] commission should also look into what were the objectives of 2014 sit-in [...] how the parliament and the PTV [building] were attacked," he added.

In response, the former prime minister said that he is ready to face the inquiry related to a 126-day protest in 2014.

“All the allegations [related to the 2014 sit-in] are false," the veteran politician added.

Maj-Gen Chaudhry, during the presser, also asked PTI to apologise for the May 9 attacks, in which several military and civil installations were ransacked by PTI workers and supporters after the arrest of party founder Imran Khan in a corruption case.

"Why should I tender apology, it should be sought from me,” the deposed prime minister replied to DG ISPR.

“For God's sake don’t try to drag the army into politics," Mr Khan requested, adding that half of his family members are in the military and the remaining are serving in bureaucracy.

Refuting the notion that the establishment and PTI will hold negotiations, the DG-ISPR, in yesterday's presser, said that no talks will be held with the party that mocked national martyrs.

"If any political party or leader or group attacks its army, mocks the nation's martyrs, then no one will talk to them," he said.

"Only way forward for the anarchists [group] is to apologise sincerely, abandon the politics of hate and indulge in constructive politics," Maj Gen Chaudhry added.

“If you don't want to talk, then don't, I am asking for holding dialogues for the sake of Pakistan,” the cricketer-turned-politician responded.

Mr Khan said neither he was interested in striking any “deal” nor wanted to go abroad and flee the country.