Major national security breach: Imran Khan on PM House audio leak

Imran Khan, the chairman of the PTI, said that he informed his team that the coalition government could detain him at any time because the incumbents lack both democracy and morality.

"The goal of [the rulers of the current government] is to safeguard the stolen money. They had been attempting to obtain an NRO for three and a half years," he said in an exclusive interview with a private news channel on Saturday.

"I don't want to tell a lie, nor can I speak the truth," he responded when asked about the President House meeting. He said he always believes things ought to be discussed.

The former PM said that the PTI has only one goal: to get the country out of this quagmire, and that is possible only through free and fair elections.

Giving a reaction to the report regarding the issuance of an arrest warrant for him, Imran said that he had already briefed his team that he could be arrested at any time.

"They blackmailed the PTI government on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) as they wanted an NRO from me," Imran Khan said. "Earlier [when they were in the Opposition], their only demand was to hold elections. They are currently fleeing from it."

"The PDM leadership wants to hold elections after I am declared disqualified," the PTI chief said. "But they always slip up or say something that works in our favour."

He also mentioned Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Vice-President PML-N Maryam Nawaz, saying the problem with the two is that they have never worked on the ground nor have they ever waged a political struggle.

He made fun of the two parties for placing Maryam and Bilawal, whom he called "novices," in a position of authority. "With idiots at the helm of affairs, how can they [the PPP and PML-N] expect to fight the person who struggled for 26 years and broke the two-party system in the country?"

Imran stated, "Not me, Nawaz Sharif requires a coach as he never struggled in contrast to Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto who had a history of struggle."

The PTI chief also lamented the state of security at PM House, saying the telephonic conversations of the PM are being leaked. "I believe someone taped the phone conversations that were subsequently hacked. Imagine the enemy country receiving sensitive information, whether it be classified details or something else."

The audio leak is a major national security breach, he stressed, adding, "I don't know exactly who is behind the issue but I know that it is a very big security breach."

Reacting to leaked audio containing the conversation between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz, he said Pakistan halted its trade with India after the neighbouring country's August 5, 2019 action. "But, Shehbaz Sharif tells his principal secretary that the grid station of Maryam's son-in-law will be built with public money."

Imran Khan said that the PML-N has a history of fabricating fake audios as they also made a fake tape on Justice Saqib Nisar.

The Toshahkhana is an open-and-shut case, which will clear the mist if justice prevails in the proceedings of the case, he said. 

Imran's arrest warrant issued

On October 1, a magistrate of Islamabad's Margalla Police Station issued an arrest warrant for PTI Chief Imran Khan. 

The area magistrate issued an arrest warrant in the case registered on August 20 against the PTI chief for his remarks regarding Additional District and Sessions Judge Zeba Chaudhry.

The FIR includes four sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (PPC), including 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), 189 (threat of injury to public servant), and 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant).

The former prime minister is facing contempt charges for his controversial remarks about additional district and sessions judge.

The court has issued an arrest warrant for Khan due to his non-appearance in court.

The Islamabad High Court (IHC) issued the warrant hours after the former prime minister submitted an affidavit in a contempt case against him.