LAHORE: PML-N leader and federal minister Mian Javid Latif wonders why state institutions cultivated Imran Khan even after the fallout of a similar experiment in the form of former MQM leader Altaf Hussain.

“It is [encouraging to see] that the [state] institutions are admitting their [past] mistakes. But it is being stated with pain that after cultivating Altaf Hussain and seeing his mindset, why they nourished Imran Khan, whose thinking is to occupy power corridors or blackmail heads of state institutions through armed groups.”

Mr Latif was speaking at a press conference here on Wednesday.

To emphasise his point that the PTI chairman was more dangerous than the former MQM supremo, he said Altaf would speak out his mind openly by presenting maps of Jinnahpur but Imran is a hypocrite, who speaks less but acts [negatively against national interests] more than the former.

Reiterating Maryam Nawaz’s allegation that a couple of army generals were still coaching the PTI chief, the minister said these coaches should also see that he (Imran) is playing against the state.

In an apparent reference to concessions being given to the PTI chairman by the judiciary in various cases, he said the institutions should also answer this question if room would be created for such a person.

Admitting that the PML-N leadership too had talked against the institutions, he said it had been for reform purposes but an issue had been made out of it.

He said the PML-N had then been labelled as pro-India, while Indians themselves were now saying that Imran Khan was doing New Delhi’s job and he must not fail in the task just for lack of funds.

He denied that there were any backdoor channels open for talks with Imran Khan and said the government had enough evidence to take ‘the mischief’ to its logical end but it was being barred from arresting Imran.

He parried a question about PML-N’s defeat in the recent by-polls saying a new front would open if he uttered anything on the issue.

Published in Dawn, November 3rd, 2022