Imran Khan: Pakistan military is 'petrified' of elections

 Pakistan's former prime minister Imran Khan has told BBC HARDtalk the military is petrified of an election, which is expected to take place later this year.

He said Pakistan was under "undeclared martial law" and alleged "fascists" were leading it into the "dark ages".

CLICK HERE TO WATCH

Mr Khan was elected in 2018, ruled for just under four years, and was then ousted in a parliamentary no-confidence vote last year.

He said only free and fair elections would restore stability.HARDtalk presenter Stephen Sackur asked the former Prime Minister if his current criticism of the military "meddling" in politics had arisen only since his relationship with the military cooled.

Mr Khan denied this, insisting his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is "the only party that was not created by military dictators". He alleges that this is why there has been a campaign to dismantle it.

Many critics argue that Mr Khan had the backing of the army during his rise to power, an allegation both sides reject. The military has heavily influenced Pakistan for most of its existence and is a crucial behind-the-scenes player in the country's politics.

""