"We had read [the situation] that these people are dangerous for the country. The country would cease to exist if he [Imran Khan] remains [as the prime minister]," Chaudhry quoted the former COAS as saying in his column.
According to him, the ex-military chief made the remarks when asked about Imran's ouster from power.
"We did not throw their government out of power; our only 'crime' was not saving it. Imran Khan wanted us to proceed forth and save his government," the former general was quoted as saying.
When asked why he didn't do so like he had done the same in the past, he said. "It would have suited me if I did it; I would've continued to support Imran Khan and retired with grace after a farewell from him."
But, he added, "I sacrificed my own image for the country; I made a tough but a right decision."
Last month, PTI chairman called Gen (retd) Bajwa an “altogether a different man” before and after getting an extension to his term.
Talking to a number of journalists in Lahore, the ex-premier had said that he made a mistake by granting the former general an extension, saying he began to talk of ‘neutrality’ afterwards.
He had accused him of acquiring the services of Hussain Haqqani, ex-envoy to the US for a “campaign” against him.
Imran had also alleged that a CIA operative was part of Haqqani’s team to lobby against a “sitting prime minister”.
The worst thing the former COAS did was to give an “NRO to these corrupt rulers,” he had said.
It was reported a day earlier that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and its leader are still getting some relief from the courts and this indicates that they still have support from a part of the establishment.
In this scenario, establishment’s oft-quoted claims of neutrality don’t seem to be true, Mubashir Bukhari said.
The analyst told Khabar Say Aagay host Raza Rumi that if Imran Khan isn’t planning to contest elections, he should be the first to volunteer for an arrest.