PTI Chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan said he wants to mendrelations with the US despite accusing it of treating Pakistan as a“slave”, signalling a desire to work with Washington after claiming itconspired to remove him as prime minister a few months ago.
In an interview with the Financial Times following an assassination attemptthis month, Imran Khan said he no longer “blamed” the US and wants a“dignified” relationship if re-elected.
He also warned that Pakistan was close to default and criticised thecountry’s IMF programme.
The former cricketer was ousted in April in a no-confidence vote he claimswas the result of a conspiracy between prime minister Shehbaz Sharif andthe US, a top security partner to Pakistan that has provided the countrywith billions of dollars in military aid.
Many analysts believe that Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) isthe most likely winner of a general election that has to be held by nextyear, following a surge in his popularity thanks in part to hisanti-American rhetoric.
“As far as I’m concerned it’s over, it’s behind me,” he said of the allegedconspiracy, which both Sharif and the US deny.
“The Pakistan I want to lead must have good relationships with everyone,especially the United States. “Our relationship with the US has been as ofa master-servant relationship, or a master-slave relationship, and we’vebeen used like a hired gun. But for that I blame my own governments morethan the US.”
A gunman shot Khan multiple times in the leg earlier this month while hewas leading a march through the country to force early elections.
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The former prime minister, who is walking on a frame while he recovers,claims to have evidence that Sharif plotted alongside senior civilian andmilitary officials to kill him.
Sharif and the other officials all strongly deny the allegations. But theshooting, and Khan’s explosive accusations, have pushed Pakistan deeperinto crisis at a time of political and economic upheaval.
Some analysts believe Pakistan, which suffered devastating flooding overthe summer, is at risk of defaulting on its more than $100 billion inforeign debt.
Khan criticised Pakistan’s IMF programme, first started under hisgovernment in 2019 but revived by Sharif, for pushing austerity measureslike higher fuel prices at a time of painful inflation.
“When you contract the economy, and some of the IMF measures make youreconomy shrink, how are you supposed to pay off your loans, because yourloans keep increasing?” he said.
“Consumption has crashed . . . So my question is: How are we going to payour debts? We are certainly going to head towards default.”