In audio leak, Imran Khan ‘pleads with US lawmaker’ to intervene amid crackdown on PTI

Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, who accused the United States of engineering his ouster from power in April last year, has purportedly sought a US Congresswoman’s help against an ongoing crackdown on his party workers and leader.

The alleged audio leak featuring Khan and US Congresswomen Maxine Moore Waters emerged on social media on Saturday wherein the former could be heard asking the American lawmaker to raise her voice against “human rights violations” in Pakistan.

“[This is] probably one of the most critical times in our history. We have the most bizarre situation going on in this country,” the former premier purportedly told other person in the audio believed to be US congresswoman.

In the 1.57 minutes-long audio leak, the PTI chairman briefed the US lawmaker about his ouster from power and subsequent crackdown on his party workers.

“I received three bullets in one assassination attempt. My government was removed by ex-army chief army [General Qamar Javed Bajwa] because the military establishment is very powerful here.”

“He conspired with people who are in power currently and toppled my government,” he alleged in the leaked conversation.

Khan added that his party was facing the “worst crackdown” which, according to him, no democratic party had ever faced in the country’s history.

While requesting Congresswoman Waters to issue a statement in his party’s favour, Khan said: “We would appreciate here because it goes a long way when someone like you Maxine gave a statement.”

“All we want is just the rule of law and Constitution and fundamental rights. We just want a statement highlighting [crackdown] and that would really help us when someone like you Maxine speaks up it makes a lot of waves,” he added.