ISLAMABAD: A spokesman of the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) issued a strong denial on Monday of a news report which alleged that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan met US Ambassador Cameron Munter in the presence of Director General of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) General Ahmed Shuja Pasha.
The report was published in British newspaper The Sunday Times and was also reported by local newspapers. The ISPR issued a statement today, terming the story “totally baseless and concocted”.
Quoting sources, the report alleges that the PTI chief was introduced to Munter in Pasha's presence, adding that Khan is supported by the Pakistani intelligence agency and military.
In Sunday’s Faisalabad rally, Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) leaders openly claimed that Khan is “a pawn of the establishment”. Leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar alleged that Imran “was backed by intelligence agencies.”
In a recent interview with an Indian journalist, Khan said that if he comes to power, he will be General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani’s boss. Khan further explained that his agenda is to bring the Army under him and make the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) report to him directly.
In an earlier interview with The Express Tribune, Khan denied any involvement with the intelligence and military.
In his book on Pakistani politics published in September, he wrote: “Only a credible government can save and strengthen the Pakistan army by making sure it stays within its constitutional role. We have no other choice: in order to survive, we have to make Pakistan a genuine democracy.”
PTI terms report 'totally fabricated'
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief, Imran Khan denied having been introduced to US Ambassador Cameron Munter by the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, General Shuja Pasha.
Khan in a tweet from this official Twitter account said that the last time he had met the intelligence chief was 18 months ago.
He added that he had met the American diplomat during a reception hosted by the Turkish embassy in Islamabad on October 28. A meeting, Khan claims was not in the presence of Pasha.
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has termed the report to be “totally fabricated and false.”
In a statement issued by the party, PTI Secretary General Dr Arif Alvi says the report is an attempt to provide support to the “false propaganda” by PML-N.
“The allegation is an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the fast-declining popularity of PML-N because of the failure of its government in Punjab and its anti-people policies that it practiced during its two tenures in the federal capital,” reads the statement.
Dr Alvi said the party is sending a letter to The Sunday Times to retract “falsehood”, or the party reserves the right to claim damages in a court of law.
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COMMENTS (87)
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@Z: : You asked : @Where’s the smoke?:
Please see this clip from Sana Bucha. She has asked some questions to which Umer Cheema has no answers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3DLEDeA0S44
As The Party is gaining Popularity these kind of propagandas will appear and also PTI should get ready for more like this
This all is just fabricated news .. these all conventional poltical parties will go to any extent to give khan a bad name .. cause there so called grip on power is trembling they have no proof . and one more thing when a person is most popular leader in country by all surveys and particularly by youth then why would he need a support of so called establishment ? people must be mentally retarded or blind to have believe this . anyway this all wont stop us support the change and no matter how bad they say imran khan is but the truth is he is still 100 % times better and credible then the rest of them !!
PML - N. Should prove this establishment claim & not to make false propaganda. PTI will sweep the next election.
@akhtar: where you were when army supported Mian Nawaz sharief....? Now if they are supporting (If they are) an honest personality why it is not acceptable?
If Munter is not denying it, I am not buying it !
Global powers are trying to extend The Great Game in Pakistan , owing to which this recent smear campaign against establishment is taking place. Establishment is the state and there is nothing wrong with it. If they are supporting IK than they are doing the right thing..
IK is the future
@ rzi, sick but true..Imran Khan cannot do anything for these lazy, illeterate, unskilled youth. Do you think he would adopt them and send them to England. Youth should focus on their studies, find job or do business, become contributing memebers of society, share burden of their parents, otherwise they would keep on waiting revolution after revolution like Arab youth.
Now obviously one would see the articles, stories and controversies against the Imran khan as PML-N and other politicians have no other allegations against him. establishment support propaganda can be successful in their view so they are sticking to it....but they are not watching reality on the ground,...as much as they would do the propaganda, it will go in favor of Imran khan,especially in rural areas,where population sees the trend sometimes and vote for it...some big wining horses can also come to PTI watching a successful propaganda against Imran as thinking it to be true...so i think PML-N strategy is wasteful...
@Ch Allah Daad: sick thoughts
Had Nawaz been backed or offered from establishment to oust the government he would have accepted the offer without even saying a word or taking the nation in confidence like he did when he escaped cunningly to Saudi Arabia 10 years back such a cunning blood sucker he is, What if establishment now wants to back IK for the welfare of Pakistan and its people i'd still support IK Go Go Go IK this time for change, for a better Pakistan.
I think this is not our problem whether IK met Cameroon Munter in the presence DG ISI or not. It is only the problem of biggest corrupt parties of Pakistan PML N and PPP. If ISI is supporting IK than what is the problem with us friends.IK is a clean man and did no corruption and he have already proved, we have already seen his management capabilities in the Namal Univerisity and Shaukat Khanum Memorial Hospital and we want this type of leader and pakistan wants too. we had already seen PML N and PPP bad governance full with corruption, these two and other horse parties only gave us loadshedding, Inflation ,Terrorism and sold country pride in the name of Re-Conciliation but this is only in their own interest. Now only the PML N is accusing IK that he is doing politics using the shoulders of Intellegence Agencies because they are scare from IK popularity and IK got much popularity from Punjab just because of their bad governance and corruption in the punjab province.These two parties has consensus over corruption, now he is speculating such baseless and concocted news. Lastly IK is the name of Self esteem.
I must support Nawaz for standing up to army and attempting to keep them out this is 3 times defeated army and only success they gets by attacking politicians KEEP THIS ARMY OUT ,BECOME FREE YOU PAKISTANI SIMPLETONS
Doesn't take a rocket scientist to get to the bottom of this one --- just ask the American's they seem to have a lot more credibility than Pakistan politicians or the Pakistani govt.
I hope Imran Khan beats Gardari and Dengue brothers
Imran does not need them; they need him. Just watch...this is just the start.
haha... u know american plus establishment means ?? LU ka zeera plus =)
@Waseem: Those burgers are probably more educated and successful than you, bitter man.
yeah they are supporting him, SO WHAT??? for once they are doing something they should have done 10 years ago instead of supporting Musharaf
@Waseem:
again: What proof?
If youth is really with Imran Khan, then he has no chance. Ours is most irresponsible youth in world. Don't we read in newspapers that 60% of them drop out before tenth grade, and those who sit in exam, more than half fail basic exam. Only 3% youth ever go to college or university, and those who graduate need sifarish or bribe to get any job. They are burden on society and on their parents. If youth is with Imran Khan, then their parents are not with him.
This PTI reminds me of the IJI (Islami Jamhuri Itehad) which was fully funded by the establishment with its sole purpose of bringing down the Benazir Bhutto government. There is a petition in the supreme court from 10 years ago which exactly documents the monies given to various politicians to help bring down the BB government.
I do not understand why the CJ who is so willing to do a suo moto action on the smallest possible indiscretions of the government is completely ignoring this petition.
for those who say this report does not exist on sundaytimes here is the link http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/public/sitesearch.do?querystring=imran+and+general+pasha§ionId=743&p=sto&bl=on&pf=all
he will definetly loose @faraz:
PTI has already served a notice to Sunday Times.
ISPR denied, Gen Secty PTI has mentioned on news Channel that "Letter has been written to Sunday times to withdraw the news otherwise legal action will be taken".
So no need to cry PML-N.
@ narayana murthy! I second you on that one-
I will only believe this news item of The Sunday Times FALSE If PTI send a letter to the said newspaper and claim damages in the court of Law and PTI win the case. Till that I am supposed to believe the News Item!
Earlier, all the other parties discredited Khan for not heading an unelectable party. Now that they have seen his influence on the masses, they are scurrying around to accuse him of all things left right and centre to confuse the public.
I hope people are intelligent enough to see through these conspiracies against him.
More power to PTI and Imran Khan.
@Khalid Javed: It is not the case. Intelligence agencies do not sell their services to political parties, which are in government and in crisis. In fact it is agenda and interests that create a link between agencies and political parties. PML-N has adopted very strict stand against army and intelligence agencies' intervention in politics. In this scenario, PTI could be the best choice of agencies. Furthermore, kindly elaborate why ex-IB chief Masood Sharif Khatak joined PTI? Things are very clear.
The Western media is all bunch of lies and always against Pakistan and Islam. We should only believe its stories if they are in support of the army and its agents. Only such reports are a page from the holy books otherwise they are all false. Finding OBL in army base was false but the news in FT against Haqqani is 100% true. Similarly ISPR is right and Times is wrong. Just like OBL was never in Pakistan.
pti should be ready to face all kinds of cheap accusations in coming days.status quo parties will go to any extent to disgrace khan.
Its 100000000000000000000000000000000000000000% true that Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan is supported by the establishment. It’s the same as PML (N), PPP, IJT and many more was/is supported by the same. I think if any support for good reasons, National welfare, progress and Development, serving Pak/Humanity and based on honesty and justice then its okay. But if any support for self interests, power, supremacy, injustice and divide and rule then it must be condemn and such support and blind game should be finish in the best interest of Islamic Republic of Pak. That’s All....Humanity, Justice, peace and mutual respect of nationals and law. But remember any Law for human welfare…not human/human welfare is for law. The law can be construct, reconstruct and change (as it with time) but if once we loss humanity, justice and peace…it can’t be restore. Remember All the world is stage and we are just players…the players who don’t know when and where his/her role will be finish/complete but it must be once…..now or a bit late. Hence Respect humanity; promote mutual understanding, respect, justice, justice, justice and peace.
First rule of politics. Never beleive anything unless it is officially denied. So here we go...
As Realist said: "Never believe anything until it has been officially denied! " , we suspect something fishy. Since long it was opined that PTI is establishments yet-another-revolutionary brand. If PTI is innocent, they must sue newspapers who published such news else we would consider it true, just like 90Rs per dengue test matter.
Who cares... IK is getting my vote, even if his candidate from my area is Zardari. Take that you propagandists.
Imran Khan needs no introduction. He is already well known. If the Pakistani ambassador does'nt know him already, he is not doing his job. This is a piece of filthy propaganda against the would be PM of Pakistan.
So what if ISI is supporting him, ISI is a Pakistani agency not an indian, israeli or american agency...
@Maulana Diesel: Where's the smoke?
@moeed:
he denies being sponsored by the ISI. Is that what passes for sincerity these days?
ahaha. IK should get exactly ZERO votes should this be true, which it probably is. ISPR's denials arent worth anything at all. In fact, when this is proven, IK and PTI should be banned by the ECP. So much for Imran accusing the status quo of fixing matches!
@Waseem: Describe WE first?? PPP and PML Nakam??? So what if he met the american ambassador and so what if the DG ISI was there? what does this go on to prove? Nawaz Sharif sold the nation to Bill CLinton in presence of Indian PM and so on and so forth...what does it prove?? and i mean PROVE...
http://www.mediawatch.pk/2011/11/21/imran-khan-met-us-ambassador-cameron-munter-in-isi-chief-general-pashas-presence/
I just don't understand why N-League is acting so foolishly. Branding him the pawn of the establishment consistently deteriorates N's credibility. People hear such an allegation and the reply you get from them is, "Khan pe corruption ke charges hein nahin tou inhoun ne yehi kehnaa hai" And by injecting this belief in the people they are actually presenting the idea that don't vote us because even if you do, we're gonna lose because IK's being backed by the establishment. :P N's committing suicides, like Khan puts it, Lol!
PMLN propaganda against PTI
Sue Sana as well http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj5oXt_gizU
Where there is smoke there is fire!!!
One way or the other ....we need pro pakistan forces to prevail. Not self centred looters and thugs ruling us.....Its about time that ISI has a policy shift and is supporting IK. This is good news coz he already has the passionate support of all the youth in pakistan. The Old and rusty with their stranded brains are the reason we are stuck in this vicious cycle of this so called two party blood suckers.
If Imran does not sue the newspaper, the news will be considered true.
When they're issuing statements denying something you didn't even do.. i guess you've truly arrived.. IMRAN KHAN FOR PRIME MINISTER!!!
@Waseem:
What proof?
Another Q league in making !
ISI is everywhere...its in the news for all the wrong reasons...why?? I think we have more than one institution running the country..
with establishmnet or not does not make any difference to us we the youth will still support imran khan becuase he is honest and sincere with pakistan
If the news is a lie than Imran can take them to the court, after all this is not the first time Kaptaan would be taking some one to the English courts. If he does not than we should take the story to be true. Another pawn in the making so much for change.
scandals like these will come from time to time to hurt Imran's credibility. He should be ready for these at all times, perhaps ignoring them will be the best option.
Memorandum report in Financial Times was correct and this report in Sunday Times is wrong, what a cruel joke and manipulations by both print and electronic media???? We need to check out all anti-state elements now being used and operated through different means and stations. If the state machinery and its associates can not differentiate between right and wrong then "Pakistan ka Khuda Hi Hafiz". I would request all state pillars to take some sense and stop becoming prey to outsiders. Country is more important and not the positions and posts.
PTI already accepted that they had this meeting but they claim that they have only one meeting of this kind at Bani Gala residence of Imran Khan.
Last week, PTI also confirmed in a talk show, following by news in Express that Imran Khan had multiple meetings with ISI.
So who was present in the meeting between IK and Cameron Munter?
I just read the whole Sunday Times and there is no such news on it..Probably our local media has done this propaganda on their own and have wrongly accused SUnday times tabloid for it..Moreover Sundat times is a tabloid and not a paper so u can see what authenticity they can have even if they had given such news.
I think Nawaz Sharif is talking on proofs. Why IKhan is targeting only PML N because PMLN opposed such thing already took place.
What about GEO news, should it be sued as well ? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj5oXt_gizU
so when we were saying IK has the backing of establishment, all were false statements, Now we have the proof to back the arguments,
so for PTI burgers supporters, now stop your basless claim of 'revolution'.
What is wrong in it, even if they did it?
Imran should sue Sunday Times
The Sunday times should be sued for such baseless news item. It's time that our news media takes responsibility for its claims and should be accountable for wrong information.
Never believe anything until it has been officially denied!
What's the big deal about a meeting anyway?
Munter is an Ambassador from the US and he is free to meet whomever he wants. The same with Imran Khan. There are so many opportunities for each one of the personalities to meet separately that this report by The Sunday Times is a desperate attempt at being sensational. Sadly, the British must come to the realization that the sway that they and their publications hold on this Earth are now in deep recession - just like their economy is going to be (its only a matter of time).
Now is the time for the rise of Pakistan. Imran will Inshallah lead the way.
The old two parties have gone nuts about Khan. C'mon! How on earth can Establishment support a popular leader and that too if that leader is Imran Khan whose career throughout has been authoritarian.
When Imran Khan has the force of youth's passion, enthusiasm & non-performance of the ruling parties PPP (in center) & PML-N (in Punjab) to support him, why he will go for agencies' support? Such support is needed by an unpopular rulers only............
There would be a plethora of stupid accusations, planted news, paid articles and rumours against IK. The corrupt political elite do not have single solid thing to prove against him. Like in past, they would go to any extent to try to defame IK as their dynasties are trembling with the fear of slogans of change by youth.
where is the news in sunday times? i think the hv already removed it