Pulwama attack: Imran Khan waited for Pak army’s instructions before speech, says ex-wife Reham Khan

Khan’s reaction to the attack in Kashmir and even the Iranian attack a day ago, came very late, which is unusual of a person who is proactive on Twitter. She asserted that he was waiting for the army’s instruction to make a statement, she said in an interview broadcast on Tuesday.

Pakistan PM Imran Khan's ex-wife Reham Khan asserts he is a "puppet of the military."/Image: Twitter

New Delhi: Reacting to Pakistani premier Imran Khan's statement on Pulwama attack, his ex-wife Reham Khan, called him a puppet of the country’s military and said his reaction to the Pulwama terror attack in India came only after he was given the instruction to do so. In an interview to India Today, Reham spoke at length about Imran Khan and how his ideologies are dictated by the military. She said in the interview broadcast on Tuesday, that Khan’s reaction to the attack in Kashmir and even the Iranian attack a day ago, came very late, which is unusual of a person who is proactive on Twitter. She asserted that he was waiting for the army’s instruction to make a statement on attack. Imran has had to make a lot of compromises to get here. He did not get here by staying ideological. He is instructed to do and instructed to say what the state wants, she told the channel. She said that if Khan says he will take action, then he has to display and demonstrate something. She said Pakistan must take an action, not under to pressure of Indian premiership, but because it is in the interest of Pakistan. On khan’s speech which had many jumpcuts, she said that the speech was cleverly scripted, and it was not the language he uses. She said some think tanks could be working on the speech. It is impossible to come to power the way he has, without the support of military, Reham reiterated. On the attack she said Pakistan might not be involved with JeM but “we have a track record that we are not cracking down on these groups”. On Tuesday, Imran Khan said that action would be taken against the perpetrators of the Pulwama attack if New Delhi shares "actionable intelligence" and at the same time he warned that Pakistan will retaliate if India attacks. Khan was heard saying in the nationwide broadcast: “Thinking that Pakistan will remain quiet if somebody attacks it, is wrong. Pakistan will retaliate. And that is the only option Pakistan has. He questioned India’s claim of his nation’s involvement in the deadly terror attack. He  said that 70000 Pakistani lost their lives fighting insurgency in the country so the nation fully understood the brunt of terrorism. He added that India is putting the blame on Pakistan for the terror attack without any substantial proof. India ejected Khan's statement on Pulwama attack saying disclaiming Pakistan's link with terrorist attacks is an oft-repeated excuse by the "nerve centre" of terrorism. The External Affairs Ministry, in a statement, also termed as "lame excuse" Khan's demand for "actionable intelligence" concerning the attack in which 40 security personnel were killed.