In a recent development, Imran Khan, the former prime minister of Pakistan who is currently serving time in jail, addressed speculation regarding Saudi Arabia's alleged involvement in his ousting from power in 2022. Khan, aged 71, has consistently attributed his downfall to what he claims to be a US-led conspiracy. However, tensions within his own party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), were stirred when a senior party member, Sher Afzal Marwat, hinted at Saudi Arabia's role alongside the US in Khan's removal during a private TV interview.
This assertion coincided with a significant visit from Saudi Arabia, led by Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, aimed at exploring investment opportunities in Pakistan. Marwat's remarks, made at such a delicate juncture, put the PTI in a difficult position, especially as the party had already been accused of hindering foreign investment in the country.
Although the PTI officially distanced itself from Marwat's comments, Khan found himself compelled to intervene to mitigate the fallout. Addressing the issue through party representatives who visited him in Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, where he has been detained since September of the previous year, Khan clarified that Saudi Arabia had no involvement in the regime change.
According to Sahibzada Hamid Raza, the head of the PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC), Khan categorically denied any Saudi role during the meeting. This statement was crucial in light of Khan's uneasy relationship with the Kingdom, which was exemplified when he canceled plans to attend a meeting of Muslim leaders in Malaysia in 2019 due to Saudi Arabia's disapproval, fearing it was an attempt to challenge its leadership in the Muslim world.
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