ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan has claimed that the army owes an apology to him since he was “abducted” by the Rangers on May 9, 2023.

The PTI leader’s remarks came during a media talk at Adiala Jail where he was asked that the army wants those behind violent protests of May 9 to apologise and whether he would tender an apology.

Mr Khan further said he was arrested by the Rangers, which is headed by a serving major general, from the premises of the Islamabad High Court.

Since May 7, when ISPR Director General Maj Gen Ahmed Sharif said any dialogue with the PTI could happen if the party apologised for its ‘politics of anarchy’, Mr Khan has repeatedly said he had no reason to apologise.

However, over the past few weeks, Mr Khan has repeatedly expressed his willingness to talk to the army and not with the government.

He reiterated the same position on Saturday when he said he would only hold talks with the “real authority” as negotiations with the government is “a futile exercise”.

Talks with the government will be counter-productive as there is an unannounced martial law in the field, he alleged.

He added that talks with “people in the power corridors” would be within the ambit of the Constitution.

Responding a question that Mahmood Khan Achakzai has declined to become the focal person for proposed talks with the establishment, Mr Khan said the PkMAP leader had been nominated to negotiate with political parties.

Talking about the new Toshakhana reference in which he and his wife are the accused, Mr Khan said the case was a “clear violation of the National Ac­­countability Ordinance”.

The PTI founder clai­m­­ed he was still in possession of the Graff watch, which he is accused of selling in the NAB reference.

According to Mr Khan, after a raid at his Banigala residence in March last year, he had moved his valuable possessions to a safer location.

He warned of legal proceedings against the NAB chairman, interior minister and those officers who implicated him in “false cases”.