Imran under threat of arrest due to his ego, says Bilawal

Foreign minister says 'Pakistan is facing a perfect storm'

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said on Wednesday that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan is under the threat of arrest 'due to his ego'.

He made the remarks during an interview on The Daily Show with Kal Penn, where talking about the possible arrest of the former prime minister, Bilawal said “Pakistan is facing a perfect storm”.

The foreign minister added that the courts asked Imran to appear and contest the cases against him, but "he [Imran] says I’m Imran Khan, and I’m too important, and I’m not going to turn up to court".

He added that he comes from a family who faced genuine arrests during military dictatorships, adding that he would never want any politician to go to jail for political reasons.

Read PTI claims Imran's residence under 'extreme attack' as skirmishes intensify

Bilawal furthered that the PTI chief has violated court orders time and time again, adding that “finally the courts have instructed the police to produce him before the court”.

LIVE: Foreign Minister of Pakistan Bilawal Bhutto Zardari’s interview on The Daily Show with Kal Penn https://t.co/ZQa9luADoh

— PPP (@MediaCellPPP) March 15, 2023

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman also highlighted the crises the country currently faces.

“Not only do we have heightened partisanship and political polarization, to the extent that political parties or stakeholders aren’t even in a position to sit in a room and discuss issues amongst themselves, we are also facing an economic crisis,” he said.

Bilawal further highlighted the security threat and the security crisis that the country is currently facing in the fallout from the fall of the Afghan government and the increasing terrorist attacks taking place in Pakistan.

Bilawal added that in the midst of all these simultaneous crises, “Pakistan has the question of Imran Khan, who believes the Constitution doesn’t apply to him”.

Economic situation

Talking about the deal with International Monetary Fund (IMF), Bilawal said the negotiations are ongoing and have not concluded.

He furthered that the deal was made by the previous government, which they “violated, putting Pakistan in an extremely precarious economic situation”.

Also read Imran asks supporters to 'carry on struggle' even if killed or arrested

The foreign minister added that the economic impact of the war in Ukraine, The Covid pandemic, devastating floods, and security threats have put the economy under incredible strain and stress.

Devastating floods

He also said that the international media’s attention span is very small and that it has moved on from covering the latest updates of the catastrophic floods, adding that the "sad thing is that the domestic attention has also moved on”.

“We’re talking about whether Imran Khan is going to get arrested or not, we are not talking about the millions of people who are, at the moment, in danger,” he furthered.

The PPP chairman also further said that “generations to come, are going to be paying the price for the decisions that others have taken”.

Taliban in Afghanistan

Talking about the regime change in Afghanistan, Bilawal said Pakistan was off to a positive start initially but it is becoming incredibly difficult, keeping in mind the state of women’s education and their right to access education.

The foreign minister added that “whatever happens in Afghanistan, Pakistan is going to be the first one to feel the consequences.”

In his concluding message to the Afghan Taliban, the foreign minister requested “let girls learn, guys”.