Imran Khan will not resign, cites US interference in Pakistan
After a key coalition partner switches allegiance, Imran Khan's political future is uncertain ahead of a pending no-confidence vote session in Parliament.
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Pakistan's current Prime Minister faces a political crisis. (Reuters)
Just before Imran Khan's parliamentary no-confidence motion, due to start today, Thursday, a key coalition partner jumped onto another allegiance, threatening the political future of the current Pakistani Prime Minister.
In the meantime, Khan cites foreign interference in his country with the collusion of Pakistani figures.
Since being elected in 2018, the Pakistani PM has faced criticism for economic mismanagement and foreign policy bungling.
With the debate on the no-confidence motion threatening Khan's legitimacy, he has been looking to keep members of the Pakistani party, Tehreek-e-Insaf, to remain in support of him, in addition to minority parties.
The PTI and the coalition members have, out of 342 seats, 176 seats. However, as they said on Wednesday, 7 lawmakers from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement will be voting against the PM.
If Khan were to lose the vote, a new government will emerge and will possibly be headed by Shehbaz Sharif, from the Pakistani party Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N). Shehbaz would be the brother of former PM, Nawaz Sharif.
What Khan might do is call for an early election, which should be held before October 2023.
US intervention
In a speech this evening, Thursday, Khan said he refused to resign and that there is a foreign conspiracy against Islamabad, shining at a "threat letter" from the US because he refused to establish US military bases in Pakistan.
#Pakistani PM #ImranKhan said that he has received threats from #Washington due to his rejection of establishing #US military bases in #Pakistan.
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) March 31, 2022
He said he refuses to resign from his position, stressing that he will not kneel for any entity, nor will he allow his people to. pic.twitter.com/2LD4aajwiB
"The letter stated that the no-confidence motion was being tabled even before it was filed, which means the Opposition was in contact with them," Khan said, but he later called it a "slip of tongue."
"We are getting messages from some foreign countries... They say that they will forgive Pakistan if Imran Khan goes," he said, addressing his nation.
He asserted that he will fight "till the last ball" instead of resigning.
"If they fail to oust me, Pakistan will have to face difficult circumstances," he said a few days ago when he first mentioned the conspiracies against Islamabad.
"Three stooges are sitting here working with foreign powers. They want Imran Khan to be ousted and want this certain person to take this place and everything will be fine then," he said. "If you think that your conspiracy will be successful, I want to tell you I will fight with this. They can't do anything."
