Country may break into three pieces if ‘right decisions’ not taken: Imran

PTI chairman says he did not enjoy absolute powers as PM, everyone knows where the power lies in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Wednesday warned that if the establishment did not take the right decision then Pakistan would break into three parts.

In an interview with a private television channel, the former prime minister, who was ousted through a no-confidence motion earlier this year, said the current political situation was a problem for the country as well as the establishment.

"If the establishment doesn't make the right decisions then I can assure in writing that they and the army will be destroyed because what will become of the country if it goes bankrupt," he said.

"Pakistan is going towards a default. If that happens then which institution will be [worst] hit? The army. After it is hit, what concession will be taken from us? Denuclearisation."

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"If the right decisions aren't made at this time then the country is going towards suicide," he warned.

"Indian think tanks abroad are mulling to separate Balochistan, they have plans, this is why I am putting pressure," the ousted premier said, without mentioning who he is pressuring.

‘My powers as PM were clipped’

He also admitted that his powers as a prime minister had been clipped, saying the strings were actually pulled by “certain quarters” that held the reins of power.

He also admitted that his ascension to power had been precarious from the very first day as he lacked the majority.

Khan dredged up the fact that he was sapped of absolute powers and added that he had to lean on to coalition partners to form the government; a mistake he said he wouldn’t repeat and would rather opt for reelections but never settle for anything less than that.

"Our hands were tied. We were blackmailed from everywhere. Power wasn't with us. Everyone knows where the power lies in Pakistan so we had to rely on them,” he continued in his opaque references.

Imran shared that his government operated within stifling power structure that subdued his authority even as he wanted to do better for the country.

With his tacit references to powers that be, Imran also minced no words to blame them for his predicament.

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"We relied on them all the time. They did a lot of good things too but they didn't do many things that should've been done. They have the power because they control institutions such as NAB (National Accountability Bureau), which wasn't in our control,” the former premier said, all but biting his words off.

The PTI chairman acknowledged that journalists who criticised his government were justified in raising questions on PTI's performance but stressed his rule was handicapped.

"No management works if I have responsibility but have no complete power and authority. A system works only when responsibility and authority are in one place."

However, he said it was imperative for the country to have a "strong army" to fight the external threats but noted that need to strike a "balance" between having a strong army and a strong government.

'Country going towards suicide'

Speaking about the eventful night of April 9 when a no-confidence vote muscled him out of power, he said, "History never forgives anyone".

"Things come out. If you ask me, I won't go into details, but when history will be written then it'll be counted as such a night in which Pakistan and its institutions were damaged a lot.

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"Those same institutions weakened Pakistan which give it its foundation and strengthened it."

He said he had clearly told the "neutrals" — a thinly-veiled reference to the establishment — that PTI's economic progress in spite of challenges posed by the pandemic was nothing short of a miracle.

"I told them if you do this and if this conspiracy [to remove my government] is successful then our economy will go down," he said.

He further said that the current "defining moment" was "trial for the establishment".

"Everyone knows they're the powerbrokers, so they're on trial. This is a trial of the judiciary and the Supreme Court [as well]."

Furthermore, he ruled out the possibility of returning to the National Assembly as it would be akin to accepting the "conspiracy".

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