Imran denies Saudi role in ‘regime change’

PTI leader Raoof Hasan maintains party founder will soon be out of jail and become premier again

ISLAMABAD:

Former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan on Thursday stated that Saudi Arabia had no role in the “regime change operation”.

The statement comes days after party’s firebrand leader Sher Afzal Marwat expressed his views during an interview with a private TV channel regarding the kingdom’s role in supposed “regime change operation”, which the party blames for the overthrow of Imran Khan's government.

Read more: PTI disavows Marwat's allegations of Saudi role in 'regime change’

During a segment on a private TV channel on Tuesday, Marwat suggested that Saudi Arabia, alongside the United States, played a part in the downfall of Imran Khan's government. This statement coincided with a high-profile visit from Saudi Arabia, led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud.

However, a day later, the central leadership of PTI and its spokesperson distanced themselves from the views expressed by Marwat, asserting that his views do not reflect the party's strategy or stance in any manner.

Imran Khan’s statement about the issue was conveyed by PTI leaders while speaking to the media after meeting him at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council’s Chairman, Sahibzada Hamid Raza, stated that political consultations had taken place at Adiala Jail with the former prime minister.

He informed that PTI leader Shibli Faraz would assume the position of Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

He announced that a meeting of the six-party opposition alliance was scheduled for April 29, during which discussions on rallies throughout Punjab would be held.

PTI leader Raoof Hasan maintained that his party had won and the “enemies had lost”. “This is the final stage. Imran Khan will soon be out of jail and become the prime minister of the country,” he said.