Pakistan: Imran Khan slams 'foreign conspiracy' against his govt at Karachi rally

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman, Imran Khan on Saturday asked his supporters at a political power show in Karachi if they consider the toppling of his government a ''conspiracy' against this country or an 'interference'.

Talking about the alleged 'foreign conspiracy' to ouster his government, Khan was making an indirect reference to Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar’s recent remarks that the word “conspiracy” was not used in the statement issued after a meeting of the National Security Committee last month, instead saying that the demarche was issued for the use of “undiplomatic language” which he said “is equal to interference”.

He demanded that a judicial commission be made under the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s supervision to decide on the merits of his claims regarding the cable and foreign conspiracy.

He alleged that the 'imported' government is trying to push his party, PTI, out of the political arena through the foreign funding case. For the sake of fairness, he urged that the court cases against PPP, PTI, and PML-N must be heard together.

Addressing a jalsa at Karachi’s Bagh-e-Jinnah, the former prime minister asked a charged crowd to raise their hands and show whether they believed his removal was an “interference or a conspiracy”.

“A major international conspiracy was carried out against this country,” said Imran, adding that throughout his tenure, he was not against any country and stood with humanity.

Explaining the alleged conspiracy against him, Khan told the people that he learned three to four months ago that US officials had started meeting leaders of the then Opposition along with PTI’s dissident MPs and journalists at the US embassy.

Khan said that after those meetings, when US State Department official Donald Lu met the Pakistani ambassador, he knew that the no-confidence motion was being tabled against his government.

The PTI chairman claimed that the official had “threatened” the Pakistani envoy that if the motion is not successful “then it will be very difficult for Pakistan”, adding that Pakistan would be “forgiven” if the no-confidence motion is “successful”.

“Tell me what more disappointing threat can be issued to 220 million people? And who are they threatening? The country’s elected prime minister,” said Khan.

“Tell me Pakistanis, whether it was a conspiracy or not? Which country is threatened like this?” he asked during the rally.

Several PTI leaders also delivered speeches against the country’s PM Shehbaz Sharif.