Imran Khan govt ousted due to strained ties with establishment

INTERNATIONAL DESK: In an apparent reference to the Pakistan army, the country’s former information and law minister Fawad Chaudhry has said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was ousted as its ties with the establishment were “strained”.

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This comes as PTI led by Imran Khan had repeatedly blamed the US for backing the no-confidence motion that lead to his ouster. Khan along with his part has refused to accept the newly elected prime minister.

“Had our [relationship] with the establishment been good, then we would have still been in the government,” Fawad Chaudhry said during an interview with a private TV channel.

He said the ties started deteriorating a few months back and despite trying to mend them, he could not do so, Geo News reported.

This remark comes as the Pakistani Army is facing rising public scorn to the extent that the Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa and his influential public relations department are desperately trying to stem the tide of anger against the military.

The social media campaign, spearheaded by former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, has spread dissonance among the army leadership about General Bajwa’s failure to protect the army’s reputation, Islam Khabar reported.

After the fall of his government, Imran Khan started a countrywide protest campaign. In two successive rallies in Peshawar and Karachi this month, a large number of people came out in support of Khan.

His next rally on Thursday, which he is slated to address in person, is scheduled to take place today at the Minar-i-Pakistan in Lahore. Imran Khan has called upon the masses to come to Minar-e-Pakistan to attend the PTI’s protest rally.

Taking to social media, the ousted Prime Minister recorded a video message before the Minar-e-Pakistan rally saying, “I invite all Pakistanis to join this struggle. On Thursday, I’m going to hold the largest rally in the history of Pakistan at Minar-e-Pakistan.”

He urged the citizens to join their struggle for the real freedom of the country from Minar-e-Pakistan. (ANI)