No-confidence vote will decide nation's destiny: Imran

Islamabad, March 31, 2022

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has vowed that, "come what may", he will not step down and will face the no-confidence motion filed by the joint Opposition against him in the National Assembly, Express Tribune reported.

"Vote on the no-confidence motion will be held this Sunday [April 3] when it will be decided in which direction this country will go," he said in an address to the nation on Thursday evening.

"I will not resign and will fight till the last ball," he added.

The premier, while terming the no-trust move as a "foreign-backed conspiracy" to topple his government, said that the nation will not forgive those lawmakers who will vote against him in the Lower House of the Parliament.

"People should see those people [lawmakers] who will 'sell their conscience' on Sunday," said Khan as he warned the parliamentarians that the coming generation will never forget them if they voted against him.

"I will never let this conspiracy succeed, come what may," he said.

The Prime Minister, who appears to have lost majority in the National Assembly after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) joined hands with the Opposition, has accused the Opposition of being part of a "foreign-funded" conspiracy to dislodge his government.

To corroborate his claim, Khan is also using an alleged letter by a foreign power wherein Pakistan has been warned of "grave consequences" if the no-trust motion failed.

"Since I joined politics, I have always said that neither will I bow down before anyone, nor will I let my nation bow down. It means I will not let my nation be a slave to anyone. I have never backed down from this stance," Khan said.

The Prime Minister then discussed the "threat letter" that purportedly shows "evidence" of a foreign conspiracy to oust his government.

In what appeared a slip of tongue, he named the United States as the country behind the threat.

"I am here today because on March 8 or 7, the United States... not the US... we got a message. For a free country, a message like this is [not only] against its Prime Minister but is also against the country [itself]," Khan said.

"They knew beforehand that a no-trust move was coming. The no-trust motion was not even submitted [at the time]. It means that they (the opposition) were connected with these people abroad. They say they are angry with Pakistan... they make this excuse. They say they will forgive Pakistan if Imran Khan loses the no-trust move, but if the move fails, Pakistan will have to go through a difficult time," Khan said.

"In an official document it was said that 'if Imran Khan remains the Prime Minister, our ties will suffer and you will face difficulties'," he added.

"I am telling my nation today that this is our status. We are a nation of 220 million and another country -- and they are not giving any reason -- is issuing threats. They said that Imran Khan decided to go to Russia on his own even though the Foreign Office and the military leadership was consulted," he said.

"Our ambassador told them that the decision [to visit Russia was made after consultations] but they are denying it and saying that 'it was only because of Imran Khan and that our ties cannot be good if he stays'. What they are actually saying is that they have no issue with the people who will replace Imran Khan.

"The most disturbing thing is that they (foreign forces) have links with the people through whom the conspiracy happened. They are stooges, and stooges mean loyal slaves."

IANS