Pakistan's jailed ex-PM Imran Khan says he would be 'foolish' not to have good army ties

By Asif Shahzad

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan's jailed former prime minister, Imran Khan, who blames the military for his ouster and 12-month-old imprisonment on what he calls trumped-up charges, said on Sunday it would be "foolish" not to have an excellent relationship with the army.

Ahead of Monday's anniversary of his jailing on dozens of charges ranging from corruption to leaking state secrets, Khan also said in written responses to Reuters questions that he held no grudge against the United States, which he has also blamed for his 2022 ouster from office.

"Given Pakistan's geographical position and the military's significant role in the private sector, it would be foolish not to foster such a relationship," Khan wrote in replies relayed by his media and legal team.

"We are proud of our soldiers and armed forces," he said.

Khan said his criticism since his ouster had been directed at individuals, not the military as an institution.

"The miscalculations of the military leadership shouldn't be held against the institution as a whole," he wrote.

On Wednesday, the opposition leader offered to hold "conditional negotiations" with the South Asian nation's military - if "clean and transparent" elections were held and "bogus" cases against his supporters were dropped.

Pakistan's army and government did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Khan's remarks to Reuters. They have both repeatedly denied his assertions about his ouster.

The United States also denies any role in it.

"The relationships between countries should always prioritise the welfare of their respective nations. When people vote you into office, you do not have the liberty to act on personal grievances," Khan said.

In his replies, the 71-year-old former cricket star did not specify what he wanted to discuss with the military.

'OPEN TO ANY DIALOGUE' WITH ARMY

The army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half its 76-year independent history, plays an oversized role in the politics and governance of the nation of 240 million people.

No Pakistani prime minister has completed a full five-year term in office, and most have served time in jail. Analysts say most of those secured their release after striking deals with the military, a claim the army denies.

Khan, who lost power in a parliamentary vote of no confidence after falling out with the generals, has said the army has been backing what he calls the politically motivated cases against him, which the military has denied.

Still, he said, there would be "no harm" in engaging with the generals if he were released from jail and sought to return to power, adding, "I have always maintained that any political government chosen by the people must have an excellent relationship with the military leadership".

"We are open to any dialogue that could help improve the dire situation in Pakistan," he said, adding that it was useless to open any such talks with the coalition government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Khan says the government does not have public backing because it won what he calls a stolen election in February, with his party-backed candidates winning the most seats in parliament.

Rather, he said, it would be "more productive to engage with those who actually wield power".

The military - which says Khan and his party were behind attacks on military installations last year during widespread protests against his detention - has previously ruled out any talks with him.

Khan's imprisonment has added to political volatility in Pakistan, which has experienced a prolonged economic crisis and last month received a bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

The instability since Khan's ouster drove Islamabad to accept the IMF's painful fiscal consolidation requirements, including tax hikes, analysts say.

Khan rejected the idea of reaching an out-of-court settlement with the government or military, unless they accepted that his PTI party had won a majority in the national election.

"The elections were the most rigged in Pakistan's history," he told Reuters.

(Reporting by Asif Shahzad;Editing by William Mallard and Helen Popper)