A petition has been moved in Pakistan’s Supreme Court by a private party against Sunday’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, alleging the trust vote to be a “conspiracy” against Pakistan.
The petition, a copy of which has been accessed by News18, echoes the government’s oblique assertions that the United States wants Imran Khan to go. The petitioner has further sought that till the plea is disposed of, the top court should direct the National Assembly, the country’s lower house, to not convene any no-confidence motion session.
Ahead of Sunday’s trust vote, Imran Khan had stepped up his attack on the US, saying a “powerful country” had expressed displeasure over his recent visit to Moscow to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician, despite losing majority in the lower house, said on Thursday night in an address to the nation that he would not resign and will face the no-confidence vote on Sunday. He also vowed that he would stand up to foreign intervention in Pakistan’s internal affairs.
In what appeared to be a slip of tongue, Khan named the US as the origin of a “memo” that he said confirmed a “foreign conspiracy” prompted by his maiden visit to Russia on the day President Putin invaded Ukraine.
“We got a message from America oh, not America, I mean a foreign country I can’t name,” Khan said in the live televised address.
“They say they are angry with Pakistan… They say they will forgive Pakistan if Imran Khan loses a no-trust motion. But if the vote fails, Pakistan will have to face serious consequences,” Khan said, citing the text of the alleged memo.
The US has dismissed Khan’s allegations. “We are closely following developments in Pakistan. We respect, we support Pakistan’s constitutional process and the rule of law,” State Department Spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at his daily news conference on Thursday in Washington. “But when it comes to those allegations, there is no truth to them,” Price said when asked to comment on Khan’s remarks.
Read the Latest News and Breaking News here
Comments
0 comment