Sheikh Rasheed, the Chief of the Awami Muslim League, has asserted that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) made an error in opposing General Asim Munir’s appointment as the Chief of Army Staff (COAS).
Sheikh Rasheed stated in an interview “We should not have messed with COAS Asim Munir. People [within the party] started talking the day when his name was included in the list of potential army chiefs.”
In response to questions regarding his arrest, Rasheed claimed that he had been on a 40-day “soul-searching” journey, refuting reports of his arrest. He mentioned, “I was on a chilla [a 40-day period of self-confinement]. I recited the Quran during this period. It was a hard chilla.”
Rasheed pointed to the May 9 riots as the reason for the decline of PTI chief Imran Khan. He attributed the unrest on May 9 to a narrative created by individuals such as Zulfi Bukhari, Shireen Mazari, Hammad Azhar, and Shehbaz Gill. He called for an apology from COAS Asim Munir for PTI supporters who were involved in the rioting.
According to Rasheed, he had proposed to play a role in addressing the situation following the May 9 events but was barred by Imran Khan from negotiating with the army. He noted that Khan can be stubborn in his stance.
Rasheed emphasized the importance of political parties and the establishment working together for the common goal of Pakistan’s development. He believes that politicians and institutions should collaborate and that in any conflict between a politician and an institution, the institution ultimately prevails.
