Appeals to Supreme Court to hold open hearing on cable
ISLAMABAD
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan Saturday claimed he was right all along and the National Security Committee’s (NSC) latest statement proves that there was a US conspiracy to remove him from office. Khan, addressing his first press conference after his removal from office via a no-confidence motion, said the NSC meeting — with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair — endorsed that the cable was genuine and that Pakistan’s ex-ambassador to the US held a meeting with American official Donald Lu, where the latter used undiplomatic language.
“I will go a step forward and say that he (Donald Lu) was arrogant […] the Joe Biden administration official told our ambassador that Imran Khan will have to be removed through a no-confidence motion,” the PTI chairman said, adding that the meeting took place before the no-trust motion was filed. The PTI chairman’s presser came after the NSC ruled out a foreign conspiracy behind the ouster of the former government in a setback to Khan’s narrative of a “regime change conspiracy”.
“The NSC, after examining the contents of the communication, reaffirmed the decision of the last NSC meeting. The NSC was again informed by the premier security agencies that they have found no evidence of any conspiracy,” a statement from the PM’s Office said. But reiterating his claim, Khan said the US official told Pakistan’s ambassador that everything would be forgiven for Islamabad if he was removed from office. Khan said following Lu’s meeting with the Pakistani envoy, the PTI allies started “realising” that the country’s situation was not ideal and that the then-government needed to be removed from power. Former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan on Saturday said that he has asked the party workers to begin preparations for march towards Islamabad for ‘real freedom’.
Khan said he would announce the date for the march later. He said a huge sea of people would go towards the capital. Imran KHan said that the truth always come out and the National Security Committee meeting confirmed that the cipher message was genuine.
He said that before the no-confidence motion, Donald Lu warned the Pakistani envoy to the US, Asad Majeed, that there would be implications if Khan survived the no-trust vote in the National Assembly. Imran Khan said that a conspiracy was hatched against the Prime Minister of the country, adding that the no-confidence motion was filed the day after Donald Lu’s warning.
The former PM said that the country’s exports reached record high in his government’s tenure and the highest taxes were collected but then a conspiracy was hatched and now there is an atmosphere of complete chaos in the country. The former PM said that the country’s exports reached record high in his government’s tenure and the highest taxes were collected but then a conspiracy was hatched against us and now there is an atmosphere of chaos in the country.
He said, “It was true, most people did not know that they were part of the conspiracy unknowingly, adding that Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz Sharif and Asif Zardari were involved in the conspiracy.”
The PTI chairman said that the Supreme Court should have conducted an investigation instead of annulling the ruling and now “I want an open hearing in the Supreme Court and if an open hearing isn’t conducted than our Prime Minister would not be able to work under external pressure.” “If our institutions do not stand for independence, then our Prime Ministers will endure threats forever,” he said.
