Imran Khan: Open to Dialogue with Army Despite Rocky Past

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, expressed willingness to engage with the military on the condition of fair elections and dropping charges against his supporters. Despite blaming the military and U.S. for his ouster, Khan stated the importance of a positive relationship with the military due to Pakistan's geographical and strategic necessities.

Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, who blames the military for his ouster and 12-month-long imprisonment on what he terms as trumped-up charges, said on Sunday that it would be "foolish" not to have an excellent relationship with the army. Ahead of Monday's anniversary of his jailing on various charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, Khan said in written responses to Reuters' questions that he holds no grudge against the United States, which he also blamed for his 2022 ouster from office.

"Given Pakistan's geographical position and the military's significant role in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship," Khan wrote in replies relayed by his media and legal team. "We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces," he added. Khan noted that his criticism since his ouster had been directed at individuals, not the military as an institution. "The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn't be held against the institution as a whole," he wrote.

On Wednesday, the opposition leader offered to hold "conditional negotiations" with the South Asian nation's military, contingent upon "clean and transparent" elections and the dropping of what he called "bogus" cases against his supporters. Pakistan's army and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Khan's remarks to Reuters. Both have repeatedly denied his assertions about his ouster.

The United States also denies any role in Khan's ouster. "The relationships between countries should always prioritize the welfare of their respective nations. When people vote you into office, you do not have the liberty to act on personal grievances," Khan remarked.However, he did not specify what issues he wanted to discuss with the military. 'OPEN TO ANY DIALOGUE' WITH ARMY

The army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 76-year independent history, plays a large role in the politics and governance of the nation of 240 million people. No Pakistani prime minister has completed a full five-year term in office, and most have served time in jail. Analysts say most of those secured their release after striking deals with the military, a claim the army denies.

Khan, who lost power in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after falling out with the generals, alleged that the army backed what he calls the politically motivated cases against him, which the military has denied. Nonetheless, Khan stated there would be "no harm" in engaging with the generals if he were released from jail and sought to return to power, adding, "I have always maintained that any political government chosen by the people must have an excellent relationship with the military leadership."

"We are open to any dialogue that could help improve the dire situation in Pakistan," Khan said, adding that it would be useless to open any talks with the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Khan alleged the government lacked public backing because it won what he calls a stolen election in February, while his party-backed candidates won the most seats in parliament.

He asserted it would be "more productive to engage with those who actually wield power," referring to the military, which claims Khan and his party were behind attacks on military installations last year during widespread protests against his detention, and has previously ruled out any talks with Khan.

Khan's imprisonment has added to political volatility in Pakistan, currently enduring a prolonged economic crisis that led to a bailout from the International Monetary Fund last month. Analysts say instability since Khan's ouster forced Islamabad to accept the IMF's painful fiscal consolidation requirements, including tax hikes.

Khan rejected the idea of an out-of-court settlement with the government or military unless they accepted that his PTI party had won a majority in the national election. "The elections were the most rigged in Pakistan's history," he told Reuters.