Talal says politics over for those who crossed red lines

• Talal asks parties, judiciary to follow institutions’ self-accountability.
• Says PML-N faced military rule, PTI founder’s “political dictatorship".
• Minister says govt's focus on improving lives, ending terrorism.
  

Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry, without naming incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, said the politics of those who crossed red lines has come to an end.

Speaking on Geo News programme “Naya Pakistan”, the state minister said that many of Khan’s decisions were actually made on the advice of former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt Gen (retd) Faiz Hamid.

The Field General Court Martial (FGCM) sentenced the former spymaster to 14 years of rigorous imprisonment for engaging in political activities, violating the Official Secrets Act, misusing authority and causing wrongful loss to persons, according to a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on December 11.

Replying to a question, Talal said the former ISI chief was punished for crossing red lines.

He maintained that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) faced both military dictatorship and the “political dictatorship” of the PTI founder.

The PTI came to power in August 2018 and was removed through a no-confidence vote in April 2022.

“Our focus is on improving people’s lives and ending terrorism,” he added.

Taking a dig at the former ruling party, he asked, “Could any political party have sought help from India, advanced its agenda, and carried out May 9?”

He further questioned why accountability had not been ensured for those who harmed the country, claiming that many of Khan’s decisions were based on Hamid’s advice.

There is a strong chance that whatever happened after the ouster of the Khan-led government was done on Hamid’s advice, he said, adding that the whole world knows about the nexus between the PTI founder and Hamid.

The “beneficiary” of all this was 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 carrying out self-accountability and urged political parties and the judiciary to do the same.

Earlier, speaking on Geo News programme "Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Sath", Senator Faisal Vawda claimed that the court-martialled former ISI chief was going to testify against the PTI founder, which would intensify legal troubles for the latter.

Vawda, a former PTI leader, said that Hamid will also present evidence against the incarcerated ex-premier.

He insisted the PTI founder appeared firmly "caught in the legal squeeze" stemming from the May 9 cases, warning that the process would intensify.

The May 9 events refer to the 2023 riots that were triggered by the arrest of PTI founder from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) in a graft case.

During the protests, the miscreants targeted the civil and military installations, including the Corps Commander's House in Lahore and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi.

"The grip of the law will not stop here," he remarked, adding that Hamid's 14-year sentence "will not be reduced".

Vawda further alleged that providing details of military installations ahead of the May-9 events "was Faiz Hamid's responsibility".

"Once the matter is clear, the first number is that of PTI and its founder," he stated.

Discussing the role of former army chief Gen Retired Qamar Javed Bajwa, Vawda said Bajwa had shown "negligence and incompetence", but later attempted to remove Hamid after realising the implications.

However, he said Bajwa had been deemed "exonerated", meaning "there will be no action against him".

Speaking in the same programme, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif alleged that the May 9 events were a "joint plan" involving the former ISI chief and the PTI founder.

He claimed the violence was aimed at "overturning the appointment of Field Marshal Asim Munir".

Asif said the PTI founder "could not have carried out May 9 [riots] alone", asserting that Hamid had retained influence even after retirement. He added that further 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 issued threats to block the appointment of Munir.

He further claimed that Bajwa initially pushed for Hamid to become the army chief, and later proposed other names to alter the process.