Master of the reverse swing former Pakistan speedster and president of the Tehreek-e-Insaf party, Imran Khan on Thursday attempted to bowl over television audiences by putting on a crafty display of his much sought after art saying, Pakistani involvement in the Mumbai attacks cannot be ruled out..
Khan’s politically loaded and liability shunning statements came a day after Islamabad fired National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani for admitting that captured Mumbai attacker Ajmal Amir Kasab is a Pakistani national.
"I think it's possible. I don't know what exactly has happened but I do believe that it is possible. I believe that if it is the case (then) these are non-state actors," the suave heart throb said in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN.
In what is an ostensible hint toward growing anti-incumbencies in the Islamabad establishment, Khan iterated that President Asif Ali Zardari was having a tough time dealing with the multiple crises faced by Pakistan.
"We move from one crisis to the other. I don't know what will happen. I think Zardari is getting weaker by the day and I don't think he is in a position to get rid of the Prime Minister (Yousuf Raza Gilani) that easily," said Imran.
Reports appearing in the media for several weeks have suggested that premier Gilani has fallen out of favour with Zardari and may be dumped as soon as the current diplomatic crises blows over.
Indicating that there is little cohesion between Zardari and Gilani, Imran said, "We have no idea basically what's going on because we have mixed signals coming in. Prime Minister says one things, President says another.”
“Various ministers come up with statements. Then we have this anomaly which is this National Security Advisor (Mahmud Ali Durrani). Basically he is a Musharraf (former president Pervez Musharraf) man who is going to be replaced once he is sacked. Who comes in his place that's the other question mark?"
However, Imran backed that Pakistani Government's decision not to hand any terror suspects to India.
"If India makes the same demands as the US and Pakistan violates its own Constitution and its own law by actually handing over the suspects, there is going to be such a backlash in Pakistan. All it's going to do is it is going to exacerbate the situation," he said.
He also claimed that Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was asserting himself.
"Frankly no one in Pakistan is sure how much power Gilani has got right now because clearly he is asserting himself," he added.
Imran's views on Kasab's nationality were seconded by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Mushahid Hussain.
The western (Oxford) educated Khan, for years, has attempted to levitate his huge fan base in cricket crazy Pakistan to fulfill political aspirations, and with his acceptance in the west as unquestionable as ‘foreign’ involvement in Pakistani politics, the Khan saga is far from over and his statements a mere attempt to score brownie points.
Khan’s politically loaded and liability shunning statements came a day after Islamabad fired National Security Adviser Mahmud Ali Durrani for admitting that captured Mumbai attacker Ajmal Amir Kasab is a Pakistani national.
"I think it's possible. I don't know what exactly has happened but I do believe that it is possible. I believe that if it is the case (then) these are non-state actors," the suave heart throb said in an exclusive interview to CNN-IBN.
In what is an ostensible hint toward growing anti-incumbencies in the Islamabad establishment, Khan iterated that President Asif Ali Zardari was having a tough time dealing with the multiple crises faced by Pakistan.
"We move from one crisis to the other. I don't know what will happen. I think Zardari is getting weaker by the day and I don't think he is in a position to get rid of the Prime Minister (Yousuf Raza Gilani) that easily," said Imran.
Reports appearing in the media for several weeks have suggested that premier Gilani has fallen out of favour with Zardari and may be dumped as soon as the current diplomatic crises blows over.
Indicating that there is little cohesion between Zardari and Gilani, Imran said, "We have no idea basically what's going on because we have mixed signals coming in. Prime Minister says one things, President says another.”
“Various ministers come up with statements. Then we have this anomaly which is this National Security Advisor (Mahmud Ali Durrani). Basically he is a Musharraf (former president Pervez Musharraf) man who is going to be replaced once he is sacked. Who comes in his place that's the other question mark?"
However, Imran backed that Pakistani Government's decision not to hand any terror suspects to India.
"If India makes the same demands as the US and Pakistan violates its own Constitution and its own law by actually handing over the suspects, there is going to be such a backlash in Pakistan. All it's going to do is it is going to exacerbate the situation," he said.
He also claimed that Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was asserting himself.
"Frankly no one in Pakistan is sure how much power Gilani has got right now because clearly he is asserting himself," he added.
Imran's views on Kasab's nationality were seconded by Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Mushahid Hussain.
The western (Oxford) educated Khan, for years, has attempted to levitate his huge fan base in cricket crazy Pakistan to fulfill political aspirations, and with his acceptance in the west as unquestionable as ‘foreign’ involvement in Pakistani politics, the Khan saga is far from over and his statements a mere attempt to score brownie points.
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