RAWALPINDI: The mysterious re-emergence of “missing” political leaders in TV interviews continued on Friday when the face of Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed flashed on TV screens after a disappearance of 34 days.
After Sheikh Rasheed Interview Some One Said on Twitter that Pervaiz Elahi Also Ready For Press Conference.
پرویزالٰہی کا بھی پریس کانفرنس کرنے کا فیصلہ ۔۔۔۔‼️
— HACKER BOY 111222®️ (@HackerBoy111222) October 20, 2023
During the interview, Mr. Rashid repeatedly emphasized his close association with the army and highlighted what he believed to be PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s major blunder in attempting to obstruct the appointment of Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir.
Similar to past interviews with former PTI members Usman Dar and Sadaqat Ali Abbasi, Mr. Ahmed also condemned the May 9 attacks. He called for a general amnesty for all individuals currently facing legal proceedings related to the violent protests following Mr. Khan’s arrest.
Mr. Ahmed’s appearance in the interview followed a directive from the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court, ordering the police to locate him by Oct 26. According to his lawyer, he was allegedly taken from his residence in Rawalpindi on Sept 17.
Sitting across from Muneeb Farooq on Samaa TV, the usually outspoken and candid AML chief appeared visibly shaken.
When asked about his whereabouts, Mr. Rashid said, “Just assume I was on a chilla [with] a tableeghi jamaat (proselytisers). I kept reading the [Holy] Quran during these 40 days.”
When questioned about his decision to give an interview, Mr. Ahmed responded, “This has become a tradition.”
‘Black Day’
Regarding the May 9 attack, Mr. Ahmed expressed, “It was a black day in the country’s history.”
“I immediately condemned that,” he added, referring to the attacks on army installations, which he described as a “turning point in the country’s political history and the main reason for the PTI chief’s downfall.”
He alleged that the attacks were the result of a narrative constructed and disseminated by certain party leaders. “This didn’t happen in one day. Gathering such a huge crowd and inflicting so much damage; it can’t happen in a single day.”
According to Mr. Rashid, the military would take action against “non-political actors” involved in the attacks in accordance with their protocols, but for the political workers who were coerced into participating, a general pardon should be extended.
“During my time in solitude, I decided to start a struggle to secure a general amnesty for poor political workers who were dragged into a political game,” he stated, adding that he intended to request Chief of Army Staff Gen Asim Munir to pardon all those involved in the May 9 attacks.
Reflecting on 2022, when Mr. Khan was ousted through a no-confidence motion, the AML chief expressed his belief that PTI should have refrained from entering into a confrontation with the army.
He revealed that he had hoped to serve as a mediator, but Mr. Khan did not permit him to do so.
Mr. Rashid mentioned that “three people” were mediating between Mr. Khan and the establishment, but all of them had since formed their own party. He only identified former defense minister Pervaiz Khattak as one of the negotiators.
Imran’s biggest mistake
Commenting on PTI’s long march in 2022, the AML chief claimed the march had objectives that went beyond mere mobilization. “It’s not right to share those things now.”
When asked why the PTI chief attempted to obstruct Gen Munir’s appointment as COAS, he said, “This was the biggest mistake.”
“We, the politicians, should come out of this issue. This should be left up to the army,” he stated in reference to the appointment of the army chief.
“Those around Mr. Khan thought they had a lot of say within [the army ranks],” he remarked, adding that those PTI leaders believed that if they reached Rawalpindi, they’d receive support from certain officers.
