“No superpower can dictate terms to India,” Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan said, adding that no country could stand up to India when it refused to take sides in the Russia-Ukraine war citing the interests of people.
“The EU diplomats kept pressuring that Pakistan should speak against Russia. But they couldn't dare say that to India because India is a sovereign nation,” Imran Khan said. “I cannot let people die for another country. Our foreign policy should be sovereign,” he stressed.
“The US was unhappy with my Russia visit,” a defiant Imran Khan said as he addressed his nation ahead of voting on the no-confidence motion tomorrow. Imran Khan tore into the United States, saying that despite being an ally, the western country carried out 400 drone strikes in Pakistan and actively conspired to topple his government in connivance with the opposition.
The beleaguered PM of Pakistan, who has been extremely vocal about his charges against the US, also maintained that he is not “anti-America” even as he complained of a ‘foreign conspiracy' to oust him.
“An American representative said that if Imran Khan is ousted, only then will the US forgive Pakistan,” Imran Khan persisted with his charge, saying that he cannot disclose the messages to the public and the media because they are “top secret”, “coded” and if leaked, can compromise Pakistan's security.
The defiant prime minister said that he would not accept an “imported government” in Pakistan, expressing his disappointment over the Supreme Court's verdict on the National Assembly deputy Speaker's controversial decision to reject the no-trust motion against him.
“I am disappointed,” he said, adding emphatically, “I respect the judiciary.”
“The Supreme Court should have at least looked at the evidence of a foreign conspiracy and ordered a probe into the charges,” he said, in what is likely one of his last addresses to the nation as a prime minister.
Pointing at the “rampant horse-trading in the opposition camp”, the prime minister asked: “Which country's democracy allows these kinds of acts?”
“I am upset that when these things are happening openly, I have never seen something like this happen in a Western democracy. I have never seen people sell their conscience. The Supreme Court should take suo motu cognizance of such activities.”
“I will not accept this imported government. I will go among the people,” he announced, adding, “Foreign countries must not ‘use Pakistan like tissue paper'.”
The legendary cricketer-turned politician came to power in Pakistan in 2018 with promises of a ‘Naya Pakistan' but failed miserably as his government was soon hit by corruption charges and unprecedented and uncontrolled inflation.
Last month, the Leader of the Opposition in the Pakistan National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, had tabled the no-confidence motion against Khan. The voting was to be held on April 3. However, on that day, the deputy Speaker of the Assembly, in a dramatic turn of events, dismissed the motion, prompting Imran Khan to advise the President to dissolve the Assembly and call for an out-of-turn election.
The Supreme Court took suo moto cognizance of the events of April 3 and quashed the deputy Speaker's dismissal of the motion and overturned the President's decision to dissolve the National Assembly.
The parliament will now vote on the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government at 10 am tomorrow.
No prime minister has completed a full term in office in the 75 years since Pakistan was formed.
