Former Pak PM Imran Khan slams top ISI spy

Imran Khan on Friday said he will remain "silent" as he does not want to "damage" the country and its institutions, a day after the ISI chief said the former prime minister made a "lucrative offer" to Pakistan Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa in return for backing his government during the political turmoil in March this year.

Addressing his party supporters at Lahore's famous Liberty Chowk after launching his protest march towards Islamabad demanding early elections, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief said his march is not for politics or personal interest but to gain real freedom and ensure that all decisions were made in Pakistan and not in London or Washington.

"My only aim is to free my nation and turn Pakistan into a free country," Khan, standing atop a container, said.

Khan rejected ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Ahmed Anjum's allegations in an unprecedented press conference on Thursday, saying it was one-sided and he only “talked about Iman Khan” and never uttered a word against the “thieves” in the government.

“DG ISI, listen carefully, the things I know, I am staying silent for my institutions and the country. I don’t want to damage my country,” the PTI chief said as the crowd cheered.

“Our criticism is for constructive purposes and for your improvement. I can say more but will not say as it will hurt the institution,” he said.

Lt Gen Anjum on Thursday said that Army chief Gen Bajwa was given a "lucrative offer" by the then government amidst the political turmoil in March. Gen. Bajwa is scheduled to retire next month after a 3-year extension.

The unprecedented press conference by the spy chief came as the country was grappling with different versions about the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and indirect allegations against the armed forces. Sharif was shot dead at a police checkpoint at an hour’s distance from Nairobi on Sunday night, creating a storm in the country. The Kenyan police later said it was a case of “mistaken identity” during a search for a similar car involved in a child abduction case.

Addressing his supporters, Khan said that, unlike Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, he was "not a runaway that would either sit quietly here or criticise the military in London".

Khan, 70, plans to arrive in Islamabad on November 4 and has sought formal permission from the government to allow his party to hold a protest rally. His party has billed the protest as a ‘Haqiqi Azadi March’ or a protest for actual freedom of the country.

Khan has been demanding early elections and threatening a protest march towards Islamabad to force his demands if the government failed to give a date for elections.

The term of the National Assembly will end in August 2023 and fresh elections should be held within 60 days.

Khan, who was ousted from power in April after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, has talked about a 'threat letter' from the US and claimed that it was part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy. The US has bluntly rejected the allegations.