Islamabad: Months before Pakistan Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Asim Munir apprised Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan about the activities of his wife, Bushra Bibi and her close friend Farah Khan, former army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa handed a dossier to Khan about the alleged corrupt practices of former Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar and Ahsan Gujar, a media report said.
Citing sources, The News said in the report that the former premier opted to remain silent instead of taking action against the accused Chief Minister and Gujar, who happens to be Farah Khan’s husband.
When Gen Bajwa shared the evidence with Khan, he had said that Buzdar was not only incompetent, but that he and his family — together with Gujar — were involved in corruption, the sources said.
Gen Bajwa asked Imran Khan not to ask where the corruption money finally ended up.
“Please don’t ask me further as you will be embarrassed,” the source quoted the former army chief as telling the PTI chief — with an oblique reference to two ladies.
Imran Khan didn’t enquire further, The News reported.
When Gen Munir, as ISI DG, decided to share his information with Imran Khan, he first consulted Gen Bajwa.
Initially, it was decided that they would both hold a meeting with Imran Khan to share the evidence with him and request him to keep his family away from a certain property tycoon.
However, with Gen Bajwa away on a visit, Gen Asim told the details to Khan in the former’s absence.
According to reports, Imran Khan was furious and, on Gen Bajwa’s return, complained to him.
The former Prime Minister was determined to remove Gen Asim from office at all costs.
Subsequently, Gen Munir was removed from office only eight months after his appointment as the DG of ISI. There wasn’t even a wait for a working day to make the announcement; it was Sunday when Gen Asim’s transfer was notified, The News reported.
Instead of setting his own house in order, Imran Khan was also insistent on the army’s role in arresting his political opponents and would reportedly often refer to the example of late President Pervez Musharraf.
Gen Asim was not receptive to Imran Khan’s demand either. Instead, he recommended a working relationship with political opponents for a smoother functioning of the government.
However, reining in the opposition was Imran Khan’s top concern. His wishes were only addressed when Lt Gen Faiz Hameed was appointed DG of ISI; the arrests of PML-N and PPP leaders started around that time.
Meanwhile, the PTI chief managed to get a clean chit for his ministers (Shaukat Tarin and Pervez Khattak) and his principal secretary (Azam Khan) from NAB through Lt Gen Faiz, The News reported.
Imran Khan’s grip on the accountability apparatus eroded again after the exit of Lt Gen Faiz from the ISI.
The former Prime Minister tried to persuade Let-Gen Faiza’s successor, incumbent ISI DG Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum.
In the interview Imran Khan conducted with three lieutenant generals to select the new ISI chief, he had asked what they thought was the biggest issue of Pakistan.
On his turn, Lt-Gen Anjum is said to have rated the economy as the biggest issue.
Imran Khan corrected him. In his view, the opposition was the biggest issue of Pakistan — and must be handled sternly.
(IANS)
