ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan accused Washington of collaborating with local political parties to destabilize his government in April. The former prime minister has called for mid-term elections to restore political and economic stability in the country.

Former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan says he favors a "good relationship" with the US on equal terms that respects his country's interests.

I want friendship, not slavery, Khan said in an interview with private local news channel Duniya News. "Pakistan needs a good relationship with the US, which should be based on mutual respect. Do not abuse our relationship as a "war on terror".

They claim that a no-confidence vote in parliament that led to the cricketer-turned-politician was the result of a conspiracy hatched by Washington in coordination with Pakistan's local parties.

The PTI leader cited India's foreign policy and claimed that his only goal was to put the country's interests first, just like Delhi treats its allies.

"My only question is why can't Pakistan do this. Why should Pakistan become a follower of any country?" Khan insisted. "India has relations with Russia and is buying oil at cheaper rates. It also has good trade with China. India is also a strategic partner of America.

According to the PTI leader, a mid-term election can create political and economic stability in the country.
The coalition government gets upset when the election is mentioned, so how could I talk to them?, the former prime minister asked. He said, 'I am ready to talk to everyone, but first we will talk about the general elections.

Khan has also suggested giving current army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, whose six-year term is set to end in November, a brief extension, reversing his position from recent weeks.

He also called Sharif a "fugitive" and questioned why the politician, with 85 seats in parliament, would have the right to choose the next army chief. Unlike Shahbaz's PML-N, which has only 85 seats in the Pakistani parliament and has partnered with its bitter rival PPP, led by Asif Ali Zardari, to form a coalition government, Khan's PTI has 155 legislators.

Earlier, Khan sparked a debate when he claimed that the current administration was deliberately postponing elections so that he could choose the next army chief.

According to the Pakistan Army, there was an attempt to "discredit and undermine the senior leadership of the Pakistani Army", which responded to the comment by expressing "surprise at the derogatory and unnecessary statement".

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