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Musharraf's not going to let go of power: Imran
Published on Sun, Mar 09, 2008 at 20:58, Updated at Mon, Mar 10, 2008 in World section
Tags: Devils Advocate, Imran Khan
ON FRONT FOOT: Imran says he stands for the independence of judiciary.
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Karan Thapar: But you keep talking about January 8. Nawaz Sharif spoke to me and told me that he advised you to stand for the elections. He says, assi saare jit gaye, o bechara haar gaya (We won and he lost).
Imran Khan: That’s true.
Karan Thapar: You accept it.
Imran Khan: No, I am saying that it is true that it was a great opportunity, but I want to say this that Nawaz Sharif boycotted the elections with us. We debated the whole issue twice. The second time he changed his mind. I believe that you take all the time in taking your decisions, but once you take a decision, stand by it.
Karan Thapar: Obstinacy?
Imran Khan: It is not obstinacy. If this happens again, I will do the same thing again.
Karan Thapar: An affectionate satire of you in Friday Times. You don’t think that unwittingly you have given them a bit of ammunition to them against yourself?
Imran Khan: There are a lot of papers I pay attention to, but not Friday Times. It’s about mind over matter. I don’t mind and they don’t matter.
Karan Thapar: Now that the elections have brought together the opposition as it used to be, the political parties as they are today to power, will you seek a bi-election to get back to the Parliament?
Imran Khan: It all depends on whether the judiciary is restored. If it is restored, then may be we hold a party meeting and then may be we think about it. But as it stands today, unless the judges are reinstated, we wait for the next time.
Karan Thapar: So you are determined to stick to that line. Even though it cost you earlier, you are determined to pay a further price and not contest a bi-election, which you could easily win, because you are going to stand loyal to your position.
Imran Khan: The first election we fought, we were only five months old. We were offered to be a part of the government and the establishment. During the second election in 2002, in Musharraf’s own interview, I was his prime ministerial candidate and I stood with him. This is the third election and on principal, I would stand to reinstate the judiciary.
Karan Thapar: There is another aspect to this election that struck a lot of attention. Your divorced wife suddenly came back and campaigned for you. Who made her do that?
Imran Khan: She did not campaign for me.
Karan Thapar: She said she campaigned for you.
Imran Khan: There was nothing to campaign. We had boycotted the elections. She basically came because she writes for a newspaper and also came because we were boycotting and there was a worry that I would again be put in the jail. My children were here for their holidays and we did not want to be in a position that I went to jail and the children did not have their mother or me. So that’s why she came.
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Total Comments: 4
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if u read or hear other's point of view anywhere in the world there are two things which you can
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From Pakistan's POV, it is better if someone like Imran Khan comes to power. But India will have a tough
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Imran Khan is not just a cricketer. He is a great human being and a man of integrity. He is
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Why do we give so much importance to Pakistan, its cricketers and keep that competive force going. India is far
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