There was no one to keep a check on the kind of power General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa possessed: Imran Khan
LAHORE, Feb 12 (SABAH): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan on Sunday claimed he was made the “punching bag” and was on the receiving end of criticism for his government’s performance despite the fact that ex-army chief retired General Qamar Javed Bajwa was the “super king” behind all decisions.
In a televised address on Sunday, former premier Imran Khan talked at length about the former chief of army staff (COAS), saying that the PTI government used to take decisions after seeking his formal approval.
“However, when I used to press for accountability of the corrupt, no one listened,” he said. “Even the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) was in Gen Bajwa’s hands.”
Imran Khan lamented that there was no one to keep a check on the kind of power Gen Bajwa possessed. “That kind of power went unchecked. I was criticised all the time. I was the punching bag while all the power resided with Gen Bajwa.”
The PTI chief claimed that incumbent Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif was Gen Bajwa’s “favourite”. “We couldn’t do anything with the cases against Shehbaz. They (establishment) had decided that he will be made the prime minister.”
Imran Khan said it was imperative that whoever possessed the authority take responsibility and be answerable for their actions. “Whenever my government made a good decision, General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa claimed it. But I took the fall when the decisions proved to be bad.”
The ex-PM pointed out that if one person unilaterally decided for the whole country behind closed doors, then the current crisis the country was facing was inevitable.
“What we are suffering today is all because of that,” he said. “If criticism was allowed against Gen Bajwa, the country wouldn’t be in the state it is in.”
Imran Khan said General Bajwa could do whatever he wanted and there was no criticism allowed of him. “Whenever there was criticism of him, journalists had to run away. Even Moeed Pirzada is still out of the country.”
Imran Khan questioned General Bajwa’s knowledge about economics, expressing surprise over the retired general’s remarks to journalist Javed Chaudhry.
In the column, the ex-army chief said his “crime” was not stepping in to save Imran’s government. He was also quoted as saying that “these people (the PTI) were dangerous for the country”.
“Gen Bajwa had said the economy was messed up and America was not happy with Imran Khan,” the PTI chief said, remarking that the ex-COAS portrayed himself to be an expert on the economy, foreign policy and politics.
“What does he even know about economics?” Imran asked. “Gen Bajwa was convincing me to replace the then-Punjab chief minister with a landgrabber.”
At the same time, Imran Khan also acknowledged that Bajwa stood with the PTI government and supported its policies when the coronavirus pandemic was raging on.
“Gen Bajwa supported us on this,” he said. “There were more things he lent support for, such as during the polio and locust crises.”
During the address, Imran Khan also said he was “fully preparing” for the ‘Jail Bharo Tehreek’ (court arrest drive). “I’m happy that people are registering for it,” he said. “I will soon announce when it will begin.”
Towards the end of his address, Imran Khan told the country’s youth who were thinking to leave the country that there was no place to run to.
“The nations that don’t fight for independence, never achieve it,” he concluded. “The chains do not come off themselves but they have to be broken.”