PTI chief Imran Khan called the recent joint press conference by the heads of the country’s top spy agency and the military’s media affairs wing “stupid”, saying that only “lies and half-truths” were told there.

He made the remarks in an interview with bbc urdu Friday evening after the start of his protest march in Lahore.

When asked if he had offered the army chief to extend his term indefinitely, Imran said he had been quoted out of context.

The former prime minister, who is currently leading his party’s long anti-government march to Islamabad, has been increasingly critical of the military since he was ousted as the country’s chief executive by a vote. of censorship in April.

Lt. Gen. Nadeem Ahmed Anjum, Chief of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI), joined the DG of Inter-Service Public Relations (ISPR) on Thursday, Lt. Gen. Babar Iftikhar addressed the media and addressed the account of Imran’s confrontation with the army, among other issues.

In the explosive press conference, Lieutenant General Anjum claimed that Army Chief of Staff Qamar Javed Bajwa received a “lucrative offer” in March for an extension of his term, but it was rejected.

Although the ISI chief did not give further details on this subject, it is perceived that the said offer was made by Imran, then Prime Minister, to request the intervention of the army chief and survive the opposition vote of no confidence.

When bbc urdu asked Imran about it, he said, “Things were taken out of context that we made an offer for an extension. Did they say which side made the offer? In what context did the discussion take place? If they tell the whole story, it would be very embarrassing for them.

The former prime minister then called the press conference “very sad” because the ISI chief had never held a press conference in such a way. “I can answer it point by point, which could be very inconvenient for the army.”

He continued, “But we mean no harm to our army institution as our enemies want the army to weaken and in turn Pakistan to weaken.”

Imran was also asked about DG ISI pointing out contradictions in its statements about the army chief.

Without naming anyone, LT Gen Anjum said, “If you see him as a traitor, then why are you meeting him through the back door? […] Don’t do this where you meet quietly at night by the back door and express your unconstitutional wishes, but call [the army chief] an open traitor.

In response, the PTI leader said, “We will praise when they do good.

“It’s childish to [think] that if we praise you, you will always be good. You also appreciate your children but you also criticize them when they do something wrong. It was actually a very stupid press conference.

The ISI chief’s press conference was the first time in Pakistan’s history that the head of the country’s spy agency addressed the media directly. During it, the head of the ISPR also announced that the military establishment had decided to limit itself to its constitutional role.

But Imran raised questions about the press, saying if the institutions were apolitical, what was the point of holding a “political presser”.

In the interview with bbc urduImran also made it clear that he “does not want to come to power because of establishment approval.”

Responding to a question about his ties to the establishment, he insisted his party’s victory in the 2018 elections was not orchestrated by the military.

The PTI leader said the aim of his protest march was free and fair elections and that is why his party wanted to introduce electronic voting machines. But the “two major parties and the [chief] commissioner of elections, who receives orders from elsewhere, did not let him do it”, he regretted. “As a result, our election will always be contentious and the risks of interference will remain.”

He explained that while the long march was aimed at free and fair elections, the larger goal of the PTI’s fight for “Haqiqi Azadi(true freedom) was that “Pakistan’s decisions are made inside Pakistan.”

“Let no one dictate to us from the outside… I want an independent foreign policy.”

Moreover, the head of the PTI continued, “I want the rule of law.”

“Here, it’s the law of the jungle,” he lamented, denouncing those arrested, subjected to torture, restrictions on the media and the treatment of journalists in the country.

Imran also called on General Bajwa to take action against allegations of torture in custody of PTI Senator Azam Swati.

“If he wants to protect the image of the institution of the army, General Bajwa should act,” urged the head of the PTI.

Regarding his long march, he said, “The way people gather in Islamabad will be unprecedented in the history of Pakistan. This is my prediction. I am aware of people’s pulse.