Former prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that there was a plan to assassinate him on March 18 outside the Judicial Complex, citing that he has evidence to support his claim.

While speaking to journalists informally at the Adiala Jail, Khan stated that he stands by his earlier statement of calling for peaceful protests outside the GHQ before May 9.

The PTI chief reiterated his statement about the peaceful protest outside the GHQ, clarifying that his statement was “presented as if he had confessed” to the May 9 incidents, which is not the case. He said he has recorded three videos about the peaceful protest outside the GHQ and has also informed the police 12 times about it during investigations.

Khan said that he had asked his party that if the military and Rangers were to arrest him they should go and hold peaceful protests outside the GHQ and Cantonments.

When asked about a planned peaceful protest on May 9 that did not materialise, the PTI founder stated that the protest was not peaceful as originally planned because it was part of a “premeditated strategy.” He claimed that PTI supporters were not present in the CCTV footage being withheld and that the footage would actually prove their innocence. Khan asserted that the footage was not being released because it “shows the faces of others.”

The former prime minister argued that protests typically occur at the site of an issue, not at police stations. He said he was taking the matter to court over the theft of the May 9 CCTV footage and “is personally filing a case against the Rangers for allegedly abducting him from the high court premises and for orders to assault the party chairman.”

He alleged that the government has cracked down on social media, with 75-year-old cancer survivor Raoof Hasan also being arrested.

When asked if his comments imply that even national security institutions could be criticised, Khan said that whether it was a national security institution or any other institution, there should be criticism of every institution.

“The judges who gave verdicts in his favor are being praised on social media, but the army belongs to Pakistan, not to PML-N or PPP,” he said and warned that if the army sides with the “Form 47” government, it would damage the army’s credibility.

The journalist then reminded Khan that he has previously described the army as a “neutral” and asked how he was now appealing to the army chief to remain neutral.

The former prime minister clarified that being “neutral” means being non-political, not animal-like. He said the term “neutral” may have been used incorrectly and his intent was for the army to remain within the constitutional boundaries.

When asked if he believes the army chief played a role in what happened to him, Imran Khan said his party was not allowed to contest elections, and this could not have happened without the establishment. He alleged that all the corruption cases against Nawaz Sharif were suddenly dropped.