ISLAMABAD: PTI chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan has said that during his time in power he would “never have agreed” to any US demands of being given military bases in Pakistan in the aftermath of the former’s evacuation from the neighbouring Afghanistan.
Imran, who was voted out of the top office last month via a no-confidence movement, which he alleges was masterminded by the US through the help of local players over his pursuance of an independent foreign policy, made these remarks while addressing overseas Pakistanis in a video message.
He said that the US wanted bases in Pakistan in order to “conduct [counter attacks] from here in case if there were any terrorism in Afghanistan” — something he said he found “absolutely unacceptable”.
Imran said Pakistan had already lost 80,000 lives in the US-led ‘war on terror’ and still its sacrifices were never appreciated, with many US politicians blaming it instead.
“First they blamed us, then they didn’t appreciate us, our country and tribal areas were destroyed and now [they] are again asking for bases. I would have never agreed to this and the problems [between us] started from there.”
It is pertinent to mention that Imran, in an interview in June 2021, had categorically said that Pakistan would “absolutely not” allow any bases and use of its territory to the US for any sort of action inside Afghanistan.
In today’s video address, the PTI chairman said the US wasn’t used to Pakistan’s government “making independent decisions”. He said he wanted Pakistan’s foreign policy to be for its own benefit instead of pursuing someone else’s objectives.
“The problems started here,” he said, adding that Pakistan’s relationship with China and visit to Russia were also a “problem” for the US.
Imran alleged that the “conspiracy” to topple his government started after he refused the demand for military bases and was aided by local abettors.
He said that by July and August of last year he had understood that “something was happening”. Imran said the “bigger conspiracy” than his government being toppled was in who replaced him as he lashed out at the current government and branded it a “corrupt mafia”.
