Islamabad (National Times)- Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday expressed his firm resolve not to let an \u201cimported government\u201d be imposed in Pakistan to serve the interests of foreign powers.<\/p>\n
In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is confronting an opposition alliance of around a dozen religio-political parties, said, \u201cThe people of Pakistan are not slaves.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cPakistan did not come into being to follow the diktats of foreign powers. Out Kalima La Illah Illallah and Iyaka Nabado wa Iyaka Nastaeen are our guiding principles,\u201d he said and added that the country was created by the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of precious lives from a united India in 1947.<\/p>\n
Imran Khan urged the nation, particularly the youth to rise and stand with him in his struggle to protect the sovereignty of Pakistan. \u201cYour future is at stake. If you do not take a stand to protect the sovereignty of our country, we will continue to remain subservient. The nation has to rise together to save Pakistan,\u201d he said in an impassioned tone.<\/p>\n
Imran Khan said he will turn to the public for support. \u201cWe are not a nation that can be used like tissue papers,\u201d the premier said.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cThey [the Opposition] wants to get rid of the corruption cases registered against them.\u201d The premier further questioned that if they [the Opposition] is so confident, why are they afraid of holding elections? He urged the nation to come out of their homes on Sunday after Isha prayers for a peaceful protest.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll the people should come out of their houses to protest against the \u2018foreign-funded drama\u2019 and I will be there with you as I will never accept this foreign conspiracy against Pakistan,\u201d he concluded.<\/p>\n
The PM said that while he respected the decision of the Supreme Court regarding the restoration of the National Assembly, he is saddened by the verdict. Recalling the time when he was arrested, the premier said that he strongly believes that the judiciary is the guardian of justice in the country. The premier said that while he respected the country\u2019s judiciary, he complained that the Supreme Court should have at least initiated the probe on the \u201cforeign conspiracy\u201d matter. \u201cI respect the Supreme Court and the judiciary, but the apex court should have looked at the threat letter before issuing the verdict,\u201d he said. PM Imran Khan further complained that the apex court did not take the matter of the \u201cthreat letter\u201d as seriously as it should have been taken.<\/p>\n
The premier further said that the decision on Article 63 (A), regarding horse-trading, also added to his disappointment. \u201cThe youth of Pakistan is our future and if they see leaders selling their conscience, what precedent are we setting for them?\u201d he asked, adding that even MNAs who came on reserved seats have become sellouts.<\/p>\n
He said that nations must stand against wrong, otherwise, nobody can protect them if they don\u2019t raise their voices against the corruption and other evils prevalent in the country.<\/p>\n
Speaking about the \u201cthreat letter\u201d, the premier explained what a cipher is \u2013 a coded message sent by embassies to their country \u2013 and said that this message cannot be shared with the media and public because if these codes are unveiled, all secret information of Pakistan will be unveiled.<\/p>\n
He said that during the meeting between the Pakistani ambassador and the US official, the latter complained that \u201cI [Imran Khan] should not have visited [Russia].\u201d<\/p>\n
PM Imran Khan maintained that even before the no-confidence motion was filed against him, the US official had warned the Pakistani ambassador that if Imran Khan manages to save himself from the motion then Pakistan will have to face \u201csevere consequences.\u201d<\/p>\n
The premier mentioned that the US official knew beforehand that a no-confidence motion was to be submitted against him, adding that they also knew who would come to power if the Opposition manages to oust him.<\/p>\n
Criticising the US official for his arrogance, he said that the official told the ambassador that if Imran Khan is ousted, Pakistan will be spared no matter who takes the charge.<\/p>\n
PM Imran Khan levelled allegations against PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif and said the had apparently prepared his sherwani for the oath-taking ceremony \u2013 as a result of being involved in this \u201cforeign conspiracy.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is so shameful for the 220 million people of Pakistan that a foreign official is ordering the sitting prime minister of the country through a third person, warning of severe consequences and alluring them of forgiveness if I [Imran Khan] leave the office,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
He further added that when details related to the letter were revealed, it was disclosed that US diplomats were meeting the MNAs. \u201cTwo of my own ministers informed me that the US officials knew about the no-confidence motion against me months before it was submitted,\u201d he said, adding that it gradually occurred to him that this was all \u201cpre-planned and scripted.\u201d<\/p>\n
Taking a jibe at Shahbaz\u2019s statement regarding \u201cbeggars are not choosers\u201d, he said: \u201cIt is important for the nation to decide at the moment that do we want to live as \u2013 an independent state or do we want to accept slavery.\u201d \u201cIf the West knows anybody in the country, that\u2019s me,\u201d he said, elaborating on the reasons why the US is against him.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen they saw my profile, they realised that I was the one who raised his voice against the drone attacks and the Iraq War,\u201d the premier said, adding that he was the only one who constantly raised his voice against the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll this drama is being staged to remove one person [Imran Khan] because the West has realised that they cannot control my actions and I will not become its slave,\u201d he maintained.<\/p>\n
Comparing himself with the bigwigs of the Opposition, PM Imran Khan added that unlike him, these people [PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari] are ready to sacrifice anything in order to save their money. \u201cThat is why they want to come back to power.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad (National Times)- Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday expressed his firm resolve not to let an \u201cimported government\u201d be imposed in Pakistan to serve the interests of foreign powers. In a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is confronting an opposition alliance of around a dozen religio-political parties, said, \u201cThe people […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":29401,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-investment","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n