Rawalpindi: The head of the Pakistan Muslim League and former federal interior minister, Sheikh Rashid, has said that Imran Khan’s biggest mistake was the events of May 9. May 9 was the darkest day for both us and Imran Khan.
Speaking on the private channel Samaa News program ‘Mere Sawal with Mannib Farooq,’ former federal interior minister Sheikh Rashid answered the host’s questions, saying that my party is the smallest in Pakistan, with only one seat, and I have been with the Pakistan Army since the first day.
Sheikh Rashid said, “I was with the army yesterday, and I am still with the army today, and I am genuine and pure.” He said, “I understand with great humility that the Pakistan Army is one of the world’s greatest armies, and I had also requested former Prime Minister Imran Khan to keep it alongside him.”
Sheikh Rashid said, “It is strange that the three people who were negotiating with the Pakistan Army on behalf of Imran Khan formed their own party.” He said, “I was outside Pakistan at the time of the events of May 9, and even if I had been there, what could I have done? I condemned the events on May 10, but they did not listen.”
Sheikh Rashid said, “The names of institutions like the establishment should not be taken; this country cannot run without institutions. Given the economic conditions, national institutions and politicians should work together, and when a policy of an institution is opposed by a politician, the institution always wins.”
He said, “Our fight was not with the establishment, and I kept saying that when negotiations were going on, I offered to play my part because someone from Rawalpindi has some connection with military officers, but I was stopped by Imran Khan.”
Sheikh Rashid said, “People who know me know that I cannot go against the army; our issues are so complex that they need to be resolved.” Former federal minister said, “Our mistake started from there when we told Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa that ‘Abeel, hit me,’ the decision the Army Chief makes is accepted by the whole army.”
He said, “Imran Khan is an opposition politician; he should have condemned the events of May 9 in every Friday sermon. When I condemned it on May 10, my friends in the institutions said that we did not see any condemnation, and I sent another statement condemning it, but still got the same response.”
(Thanks: Dawn News)