Former DG ISI General Faiz Hameed (retd) had planned to depose the PTI chairman after becoming army chief by imposing martial law in the country and rule the country for the next 20 years, former federal minister Faisal Vawda said on Friday.

“While chairman [PTI] cannot recognise the true intentions of people, we believed from the very first day that General Faiz wanted to grab power by deposing the chairman of PTI after imposing martial law and then ruling the country for 20 years just as Saddam Hussain ruled Iraq,” he said at Shaukat Piracha’s show Rubaroo on Aaj News.

He said that the PTI chairman had staged protests and sit-ins as he wanted a presidential form of government and to appoint the former spymaster as the army chief.

During the last six months of the PTI government, Khan was quoted on several instances that democracy does not suit Pakistan. Vawda claimed that Gen Faiz had used the presidential system as bait to take over the country.

He refused to name anyone. Vawda alleged that at least four to five people in the former PTI government were involved in mega corruption. “We would have done more corruption than PML-N and the PPP if we had gotten more time in the government,” he added.

The former federal minister also spoke about the National Crime Agency matter and claimed that it was not part of the-then cabinet’s agenda. “We were shown a sealed envelope by Khan’s adviser for accountability and interior Shahzad Akbar, and were told to sign it,” he added.

According to Vawda, it would be difficult for the PTI chairman to participate in the general elections as he believed the Toshakhana and the NCA cases could result in his disqualification.

But he said that the PTI chief would not let anyone from his party take hold of PTI. “As far as I know chairman [PTI], he will throw the car rather than give its steering wheel to anyone.”

Vawda claimed that the former prime minister would not find people to give tickets to in the upcoming elections. “He [Khan] claimed that his party leaders are with him. People will not take his party’s ticket. In the coming days, you will see his closest ones leaving him,” he added.

To a question regarding the elections, he said that nothing was certain regarding elections.

“However, I can tell you that most of the contestants will be independent with no party securing a simple majority. It will be a coalition government for the next 20 years in Pakistan,” Vawda stated.