• Claims threats to his life; fears family will be targeted when he leaves office
• Lists three options given by establishment: face no-trust, resign or call early elections

ISLAMABAD: Doubling down on his claims regarding a threat to his regime from foreign powers, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said ‘a powerful country’ had issues with his trip to Russia.

Speaking at the Islamabad Security Dialogue, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday stressed the independent nature of his government’s foreign policy, saying it helped the country earn respect in the global comity of nations. Instead of being dictated by world powers, he said his government’s external policy was driven by considerations for the interests of the 220 million citizens of the country.

The premier said foreign aid ‘dependency syndrome’ stopped Pakistani leaders from resisting external interference in the internal matters of the country. He praised India for having an independent foreign policy and said it had protected it from international pressure over its policy on the Russia-Ukraine conflict.

The premier also expressed fears that his life was in danger and that he and his family would face the worst kind of character assassination once he was removed from government.

The prime minister’s statement came mere hours after Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Imran Khan had been reported by security agencies.

The PM said his life was at risk because his adversaries knew that he would never stay silent. “They will implicate me in cases. They will launch a character assassination campaign. They already ran a campaign against my wife and her friend,” he added.

Three options

Amid the opposition’s claim that the establishment is “neutral” in the current political development in the country, Prime Minister Khan revealed that the “establishment” had given him three options — “face the no-trust resolution, give resignation or call early elections”.

Mr Khan said he had opted to face the no-confidence resolution, adding that he would fight till the last ball and unveil the faces of those who would vote against him because of the “glitter of money and lucrative positions”.

In an interview with ARY News anchor Arshad Sharif, the prime minister admitted that he wanted Lt Gen Faiz Hamid to stay on as spy chief for another few months “due to the deteriorating situation Afghanistan, because he is a security expert and could handle the situation better.” However, he said the military establishment thought otherwise.

He claimed that if he was removed through the no-confidence resolution, the new government would not be able to meet the challenges confronting the country.

The prime minister said he would go for early polls provided he won the vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Sunday. He said he would seek more votes from the people in the next polls for his comeback with a comprehensive majority so that he could not be “blackmailed” in his next term.

He claimed that the issue of granting a service extension to incumbent Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa was not a bone of contention as he had not even thought about it.

The prime minister said that in the present circumstances Pakistan needed a “strong” army and that he had done nothing to weaken the army.

Foreign plot

The premier claimed he was being removed from the power under an international conspiracy and, therefore, he had decided to take the issue of “threat letter” to the Supreme Court. “My legal team and some international legal experts have given me a briefing as to how we plead our case in the court,” he added.

“The plot for my removal was hatched abroad because a certain country does not like our independent foreign policy,” Mr Khan said, adding that he paid an official visit to Russia after consultation with the army chief and the Foreign Office, but the threat letter he received on March 7 accused him of visiting Russia of his own will.

Asked why he had been villianised all of a sudden, PM Khan said: “This did not happen for no reason. It involves money.”

The prime minister said he was well aware of the conspiracy since August and had also warned his cabinet of a tough winter ahead.

Replying to a question about PTI’s present position in the National Assembly, the prime minister said: “The opposition can make its government with the support of PTI dissidents and now it’s better to hold new elections. If we win the vote of confidence — it’s a good idea — we will go for early polls.”

Mr Khan said his government had faced immense difficulties during the last three-and-a-half years for lacking a heavy majority.

The prime minister said his party would sail through the difficult times and face everyone. “We will achieve self-dependence if no one gives us money. But we will never bow before anyone, except Allah,” he said, claiming that he would comeback in the next polls.

He claimed that the new prime minister and his team would not be able to avert the economic crisis in the country. “What they [opposition] will do. How Shehbaz Sharif will reduce prices. What solution does he have?”

Published in Dawn, April 2nd, 2022