Islamabad [Pakistan], March 2 : The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Irfan Siddiqui on Saturday criticised former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan over his article in the US magazine Time, terming it a calculated attempt to damage global standing of Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.
Pakistan Senator Irfan Siddiqui termed Imran Khan's article misleading and irresponsible, accusing the former Pakistan PM of distorting facts to serve his political narrative at the cost of the country's reputation. He condemned the article, stressing that it was a deliberate and reprehensible effort to tarnish global reputation of Pakistan, The Express Tribune reported.
In a post on X, Siddiqui wrote, "Imran Khan's article published in the American magazine "Time" is a highly condemnable attempt to smear Pakistan on the face of the world. By making baseless allegations against the government, judiciary, armed forces and all other institutions, the situation in Pakistan has been described as a "black era"."
He further stated, "The article also makes a false, incorrect and baseless claim that during the negotiation process, he (Imran Khan) was offered house arrest after being taken out of Adiala Jail. He was not offered any such offer at any stage. It would be better if Imran Khan told who made this offer to him and when?"
In his article in the Time magazine, Imran Khan called the charges against him "politically motivated" and stressed that it was "an attempt to silence my fight for democracy." He noted that the destabilised Pakistan threatens regional security, disrupts trade, and weakens global democratic values and higlighted the need for the world to recognize the urgency of this crisis.
He said that his party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its supporters have witnessed a brutal crackdown over the past year. According to him, international rights groups and the United Nations have documented arbitrary detentions and politically driven trials in military courts.
In his article in the Time magazine, Imran Khan accused the Pakistan military of diverting military resources for campaign of vengeance against political opponents such as PTI instead of addressing critical security threats. He said that Pakistan's judiciary has been reduced to what he sees as a "tool of political persecution." PTI founder claimed that parliament has been reduced to what he and his party "views as a rubber stamp for authoritarian policies."
Earlier in February, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had requested hearing of his cases in the open court. Imran Khan had filed a petition before the Islamabad High Court, saying multiple 'false' cases have been registered against him and his trial was being conducted in the 'controlled' environment of Adiala Jail, Dawn reported.
In the petition, Imran Khan said that his trial in the Adiala Jail was being conducted in violation of law and the Constitution. It also said that his lawyers were being harassed. The petition said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan since his arrest in 2023 has never been presented before an open court and his trials have been conducted in makeshift courts in the prison.
In the petition, it was said that the jail administration did not permit international media to cover the trial proceedings and only a handful of reporters were permitted to be present during the proceedings. The petition urged the court to issue order for conducting Imran Khan's open trial to ensure fair trial as mentioned in the constitution.
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