Pakistan: ‘Conspiracy’ being hatched to kill me, says former PM Imran Khan; records video naming those involved

Ousted Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan, claimed on Saturday that a “conspiracy” to assassinate him was being hatched within the country and abroad, warning that if anything happens to him, the people will come to know about the perpetrators through a video message he has recently recorded and placed in a safe place. Speaking at a big rally at Sialkot in Punjab province, Khan said he came to know about the conspiracy a few days ago and has named all those involved in it in the recorded video.

“A conspiracy is afoot to take my life. I got full knowledge of this conspiracy a few days ago. The conspiracy is being hatched here and abroad against me in closed rooms. I have recorded a video about this conspiracy, naming all those involved in it. If something happens to me then the people will come to know who were behind this conspiracy,” Khan said at a big rally

The chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf said he had placed the recorded video in a safe place. Earlier, he had said the names of all those involved in ousting his government were 'written on his heart'.

Khan blames the US for sending his government home. He said he had asked the establishment to intervene and save his government but it did nothing.

“We are the followers of the Prophet (PBUH) and we will never bow down to any superpower. We never fear anyone accept Allah,” Khan said. He targeted his political opponents, warning the ‘three stooges’ – (Prime Minister) Shehbaz Sharif, PPP’s Asif Ali Zardari and JUI-F’s Maulana Fazlur Rehman – not to create any hurdles in his ‘Azadi movement’.

Khan has already announced a long march in Islamabad. He said the date of the march would be made public after May 20.

He said over two million people will gather in the capital to oust this ‘imported government’. “This will be a revolution,” he asserted.

Reacting strongly to Khan’s speech, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that Khan has now come up with this ‘fake story of his assassination’ to get the sympathy of the people.

“This man (Khan) has not learnt anything despite being in power for about four years. Now Khan is saying perhaps America and his opponents are hatching some kind of conspiracy against him. There is no place of this insane person in the Pakistani politics,” Asif told a private TV channel.

Since his ouster, he has blamed the US for conspiring against his government – a stance that the incumbent government has refuted.