Ruling parties target Imran for taking U-turn

ISLAMABAD     -           Political parties in the ruling coalition on Monday lashed out at former prime minister Imran Khan for allegedly taking a U-turn from his earlier stance that he was ousted from power through a foreign conspiracy. However, the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) denied the allegation saying that the local media has misquoted Khan’s interview given to the Financial Times. In a series of tweets, Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the PTI chief will have to give an answer for the apparent change in his narrative regarding a foreign conspiracy behind his ouster. Since he was voted out by the parliament in April this year, the chairman PTI has been claiming that he was dethroned through a US-backed conspiracy. “As far as I’m concerned it is over, it’s behind me,” the foreign newspaper quoted Khan as saying this of the alleged US conspiracy. The information minister said that putting the narrative of US conspiracy on the back burner would not work as the former prime minister would have to give answers for the narrative on the basis of which he spread chaos in the country. She said that withdrawing the claims without giving an explanation would not be enough. She added that the former PM could not get rid of all the accusations by simply saying “it’s behind me”. She also accused Khan of putting the country’s national security and foreign relations in grave danger. Meanwhile, Climate Change Minister Sherry Rehman said that Khan has made the biggest U-turn and added that his false narrative has damaged the country diplomatically. PTI in its response has said that the local media has misquoted the interview of Khan. In an address via video link, Khan said that a “propaganda cell” in Pakistan was “feeding journalists” against him. He alleged that the journalists were told to pick and choose things from his interview to use the same against him. PTI leader Dr Shireen Mazari in a statement said that the ex-premier never denied US regime change conspiracy. “All he is saying that it happened; it is behind us and we are moving forward,” she said, adding that deliberate distortion of words has been made by the local press.

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