Political crisis deepens

 

ISLAMABAD   -   Prime Minister Imran Khan claimed on Friday that there is a threat to his life and those conspiring to topple his government were ‘scared knowing that even if he is ousted, the public will continue to support him.’

“I am saying this openly that there is a threat to my life,” he said in a TV interview. The prime minister went on to say, “They, all those who have colluded (against me), know that I will not sit silently.”

Referring to the opposition leaders he asked do they think that they would spend Rs20 billion or Rs25 billion to topple my government. “And I will watch silently?” “This is why I am saying openly, there is a threat to my life.”

Imran Khan also revealed three options to navigate out of the present situation: “resignation, no-confidence [vote] or elections”, following the filing of a no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly.

He was responding to questions about whether the opposition, government or “another party” had proposed early elections and his resignation as options. The premier said when he was presented with the three options, “We said elections is the best option, I cannot even think about resigning and as far as the no-confidence vote is concerned, I believe in fighting till the end.”

After the interview aired, sources close to the Establishment revealed that options were not offered to the PM, rather the PM Office had requested.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that the government will go for early elections if he remains successful in defeating the no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly. Also, he said going for early elections is a good idea and will be good for the country.

Responding to another question, Imran Khan said he wants a foreign policy aimed at protecting rights of the people of Pakistan and enhancing respect of the Green Passport.

He said Pakistan’s foreign policy should be based on having cordial relations with all the countries, including Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union and the Middle East.

The Prime Minister said Pakistan can be a partner in peace and not in a conflict.

Giving example of India for pursuing an independent foreign policy and remaining non-aligned to any bloc, he said New Delhi reap benefits of this policy from all sides.

Imran Khan said former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto pursued an independent foreign policy, but unfortunately, some internal elements in collaboration with the international forces, hatched a conspiracy against him.

The Prime Minister said what an irony it is that a foreign country is threatening Pakistan that Islamabad will have to face serious consequences if Imran Khan successfully sails through the no-confidence motion.

He said some politicians, anchorpersons, and journalists have been meeting with foreign diplomats in Pakistan to hatch a conspiracy to dislodge his government.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan terming an independent foreign policy crucial for the country, said the reason why Pakistan could not touch its peak potential was its ‘dependency syndrome’ on other powerful nations. “A country without an independent foreign policy remains unable to secure the interests of its people,” he said in his address at the Islamabad Security Dialogue.

The two-day event gathered intelligentsia from across the country besides representatives from the United States, United Kingdom, China, Russian and European Union.

PM Imran Khan said taking independent decision while keeping high the interests of nation was extremely important rather than submitting to the will of other countries in exchange of foreign aid.

He said a nation could not progress until it kept thinking that it could not survive without foreign aid and criticized the decisions of previous governments for joining the wars, namely the Afghan Jihad and the post 9/11 war on terror.

“These decisions, that incurred major damage to Pakistan, were made for the sake of dollars,” he said.

He pointed out that such detrimental policies resulted in sectarian militancy that disrupted the environment of investment, and promoted drug rackets and black money in the country.

He regretted that no independent evaluation was made after wards to assess the damage suffered by the Pakistani society, and said “the elite filled up their bank accounts at the cost of the nation”.

Imran Khan said his government during four years pursued an independent foreign policy that helped the country gain respect in global arena.

He said a “powerful country” had expressed displeasure over his recent visit to Russia. “On the other hand, it is supporting its ally India which imports oil from Russia”. “How come a country can interfere into the affairs of an independent State,” he said. “But not to blame them, as it is our fault because we gave them this impression”.

He said for its own interest, Pakistan’s elite threw the nation to altar and put its self-respect at stake.

Imran Khan said national security was a multidimensional phenomenon and could be ensured when the State and nation got united at single vision and ideology. He said his government firmly believed that there was a symbiotic relationship between economic, human, and traditional security which was imperative for Pakistan’s long-term development. He said domestic stability and regional peace based on mutual co-existence, regional connectivity, and shared prosperity were essential prerequisites to optimising national security.