Pakistan’s Imran Khan openly accuses military of trying to destroy his party

“It is completely the establishment,” Khan said in an interview to news agency Reuters.

“Establishment obviously means the military establishment, because they are really now openly – I mean, it’s not even hidden now – they’re just out in the open.”

The political unrest has increased uncertainty in the nuclear-armed Pakistan, which is also facing financial turmoil. The $350 billion economy is struggling to stave off default, control record high inflation and deal with a plummeting currency.

Read more: Imran Khan congratulates Erdogan on election win

Last month, the violent protests had erupted in Pakistan after he was briefly arrested.

Khan, who is out on bail, called the violent protests a “false flag operation” meant to target him.

Khan said the military wanted to stop him from returning to power in elections due by November.

He claimed about 150 criminal cases filed against him were frivolous and would get thrown out in any civilian court.

“So their only hope, and because they are determined to get me out of the way, I think they will, their whole charade of military courts is to imprison me,” he said.

“I have absolutely no doubt that the military courts are meant for me,” said Khan.

Khan said the country’s most powerful spy agency, the military’s Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), was deeply involved in the crackdown.

He said two senior members of his party were called by the agency for talks. “And when they went there, just they shut them up and said ‘You (won’t) leave unless you renounce being part of PTI’.”

Khan said he was puzzled by the campaign against him.

Khan was ousted from office in a parliamentary vote last year that he says was orchestrated by Pakistan’s top generals.