ISLAMABAD: Fawad Chaudhry, senior vice president of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), dismissed as “baseless” the rumour that former prime minister Imran Khan had requested a meeting with the army chief, Gen. Syed Asim Munir.
He also clarified that neither Khan nor any of his representatives, including the president, had approached the chairman of the opposition party with any suggestion of a meeting with Gen. Munir or Shehbaz Sharif.
Chairman Imran Khan has never made any request to meet Army chief or any of his representatives likewise President has never approached Chairman PTI with any suggestion of Army Chief for meeting Shahbaz Sharif, speculations in this regard are baseless
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) March 7, 2023
His clarification came in response to a tweet from journalist Kamran Khan, who claimed that Gen. Munir, in a meeting with the nation’s top businessmen on Monday, divulged he had sought a meeting between Khan and Sharif, a suggestion the former prime minister rejected.
Instead, Khan desired a meeting with the army chief which the latter declined, insisting he was not ready to interfere in the political process, the journalist, widely understood to be tied to the military, claimed.
جنرل عاصم منیر ملک کی چوٹی کی بزنس لیڈرشپ کے ساتھ کل شب ملاقات میں بتایا انہوں نے صدرعلوی کے زریعے عمران خان وزیر اعظم شہباز شریف ملاقات کا پیغام بھیجا تھا مگر خان صاحب نہ مانے بلکہ آرمی چیف سے ملاقات کی خواہش کا اظہار کیا جنرل عاصم نے کہا وہ سیاسی عمل میں مداخلت کے لئے تیار نہیں pic.twitter.com/HxLkjEcqzc
— Kamran Khan (@AajKamranKhan) March 7, 2023
Last week, Khan had expressed his willingness to hold discussions with Gen. Munir, saying it would be for the betterment of the country. He had also emphasised that he did not have any disputes with the establishment.
Kamran further tweeted the meeting between Gen. Munir and the businessmen lasted for over three hours, with Finance Minister Ishaq Dar in attendance.
During the meeting, the economic crisis was acknowledged, but the army chief and minister expressed confidence that a staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund would be achieved soon.
Additionally, Dar revealed to the business community that the Fund had requested a six percent hike in discount rates, but he had managed a two percent increase in the last monetary policy committee meeting of the State Bank of Pakistan.
Once viewed as having their support, Khan has now become a vocal critic of the army, which has traditionally held significant power in the country. This change has made him more unpredictable in the complex military-political landscape of Pakistan.
He was shot in the leg during a protest march in November, an act that the government and military have declared as being carried out by an unknown attacker, prompting his supporters to label it as an attempted assassination. Khan blamed an intelligence official and Shahbaz Sharif, who denied the claim.
Khan, who was removed from office in April, has faced political turmoil recently, with his disqualification from holding public office by the election commission due to failure to declare expensive gifts, including a Rolex watch, from foreign dignitaries.
His legal team has called the decision politically motivated, adding to the already tense and unstable political climate in Pakistan.
