Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday that the opposition parties’ no-confidence motion against him was a ‘huge foreign conspiracy against Pakistan’, saying he can’t name the country which sent the ‘threat letter’, fearing repercussions for the country. While referring to ‘threat letter’ that he referred to in his public rally in Islamabad on March 27, the prime minister said that the letter states that Pakistan will face serious consequences if the no-confidence motion fails, adding that the language of the letter was extremely harsh and the no-trust motion has been mentioned several times in it. The details about premier’s remarks emerged after he convened an urgent meeting of federal cabinet to discuss the issue of “international conspiracy to topple his government through a secret letter”. Though the heads of the allied parties were also requested to attend the meeting, MQM-P and BAP leadership excused on grounds that they were busy with other things. Later on, the premier discussed the contents of the letter with journalists in a separate meeting. Also read: IHC expects PM will not make content of 'threat letter' public Initially, the ‘lettergate’ controversy arose after PM Imran claimed in the public rally that there was a “foreign-funded plot” being hatched against his government and waved a letter to the crowed but without divulging its contents. PM Imran insisted that efforts were being made to seek his ouster since he pursued an “independent foreign policy” and produced the letter as an evidence of the existence of the conspiracy aimed at toppling his government. Meanwhile, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain while sharing the details of the meetings said that PM Imran took the federal cabinet into confidence over the ‘threat letter’. “The letter’s content was shared with the federal cabinet as it was shared by our ambassador with the government under the Official Secret Act,” the information minister said, adding that the gist of the letter had also been shared with some anchorpersons as well. “In the next phase, we have a plan to table the letter in an in-camera session of parliament,” Fawad said, adding that the government has already expressed its desire to share the letter with the Chief Justice of Pakistan. “The kind of language, plan and threats given in the letter are unacceptable for any sovereign country,” Fawad maintained, adding that PM Imran would continue to fight for the country’s integrity, sovereignty and the respect of nation. Read more: Resignation not an option, PM will ‘fight till last ball’: Fawad Meanwhile, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser tweeted: “If the Parliamentary leaders from government and opposition side agree, the issue of the sensitive letter can be discussed at in camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.” If the Parliamentry leaders from Government and Opposition side agree, the issue of the sensitive letter can be discussed at in camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security. — Asad Qaiser (@AsadQaiserPTI) March 30, 2022 Commenting on a meeting between PM and the army chief, Fawad said that neither the premier has been asked to resign nor will he resign. While ruling out the possibility of PM’s resignation, he said “Imran Khan would fight till the last ball.” He also equated the current political situation with the 1992 Cricket World Cup when the Pakistan team had a poor start but eventually won the title beating England in the final. Fawad predicted a bleak political future for dissident members of the ruling party in the National Assembly. In addition, he said the PTI had a firm stand that Pakistan Army was a guarantor of the national security and stability. Unlike the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz which attempted to “conquer” the institutions during its government tenures, Fawad said, PTI has been working with army in close coordination for the national progress and prosperity. Following a meeting with the journalists, an anchorperson revealed that eyes of several members of the federal cabinet welled up with tears when they heard the contents of the ‘secret letter’. The anchorpersons also revealed that Planning Minister Asad Umar shared some details and showed the letter conveyed on March 7 from a distance. They said that the clear threats have been given through the letter, saying it was also shared with the army chief and the DG ISI. Also read: Opposition urges PM Imran to resign as PTI loses majority in NA One of the participants of the meeting said that it was clearly stated in the letter that the country concerned was not happy with the policies of the government. In case the no-confidence motion succeeds, he said that the sender country has said that it will “forgive everything”. Otherwise, he said, there will be difficult days ahead. Earlier in the day, PM Imran while speaking during a ceremony in Islamabad marking the launch of the e-passports facility said that the no-confidence motion was a “democratic” right in a parliamentary democracy but the current no-trust move was “funded by foreign powers”. Imran said that foreign powers could not accept leadership that worked for the people of Pakistan and criticised the United States’ War on Terror, saying Pakistan “sacrificed its interest” for foreign powers but they never “valued” its sacrifices. It was in that ceremony the premier said that he would show the letter to senior journalists and allied parties to show that it was “real”. “People think there is a drama going on… this is not a drama. We just wanted to protect our national interests and that is why we cannot disclose who has threatened us,” he said. Reportedly, the letter was also shared with the military leadership but the relevant quarters revealed that they had “no knowledge” of any such plot and neither did they see any evidence. Separately, the prime minister postponed his address to the nation. Earlier in the day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said PM would address the nation in the evening. However, Senator Faisal Javed Khan shared in the evening that the address was postponed.
from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | eTribune https://ift.tt/ASOyNHJ
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