Imran calls for urgent talks amid clampdown

Former PM warns country headed towards chaos; says his party remains country's most popular

LAHORE:

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Friday appealed for immediate talks with state officials, as pressure increased on him amid a crackdown on his top aides and supporters that saw thousands arrested as well as many leaving his party.

The clampdown started earlier this month when Imran's supporters were involved in violent protests following his brief arrest on May 9.

"I would like to appeal for talks, because what is currently happening is not a solution," Imran said in a live talk streamed on YouTube, warning that the country was headed towards anarchy.

The political unrest worsened as Pakistan faced its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation was at record highs, economic growth was anaemic, and there were fears that the country could default on external debts unless the International Monetary Fund unlocked delayed disbursements.

Party resignations

Most of Imran's top aides were arrested shortly after his supporters stormed and set ablaze a number of public buildings and military installations across the country. Many have been released and shortly after announced their resignations from the PTI.

Read more:Firdous parts ways with PTI as desertions continue

Dozens of other mid-tier leaders have also left. Imran said they were being made to resign under duress in a bid to weaken him and dismantle his party.

He distanced his party from the attacks on military installations during the unrest that followed his arrest, reiterating a call for an investigation to determine who was involved.

Imran's party members said they were leaving of their own free will. Many of them cited concerns for their family members and health. The former premier, however, struck a defiant tone, warning that his party's popularity was only rising because of the crackdown and would still win an election whenever it was held.

He said he only wanted to talk to take the country out of the current crisis. A national election was scheduled to be held in October, and polls showed Imran remained the country's most popular leader.

Imran had said earlier this week that he would set up a committee to hold negotiations. He said previous attempts to speak to the country's powerful generals had gone unanswered.

The civilian government, a coalition of his political rivals, did not indicate that it was willing to talk as the crackdown on his party continued.

Military courts

The appeal for talks came as the pressure mounted on his party and supporters, 33 of whom had been handed over to the army to face trial in military courts on charges of attacking the armed forces' installations, according to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah.

The 33 accused were among the thousands detained since Imran's May 9 arrest sparked violent protests across the country.

Imran was arrested on graft charges, which he denied, and was subsequently released on bail.

"The accused who are being handed over to the military are those who trespassed and entered very sensitive defence installations," Sanaullah told a news conference on Friday. He said only those who were involved in breaching out-of-bound areas would face trial under army laws, suggesting there would not be mass trials in military courts. But in response to a question, he also suggested that Imran could also be tried in a military court, saying: "As far as my own assessment and the evidence we have... this man is the architect of all this mess and planning, so yes he comes under this category."

Rights groups raised concerns over military trials of civilians, saying they could not ensure a fair trial. Such courts were closed to outsiders and the media.

The minister said after a verdict from the military courts, the accused would have a right to appeal to a high court and then the Supreme Court.

(With input from Reuters)