Opposition brands PM a ‘security risk’

The joint opposition on Thursday came down hard on Prime Minister Imran Khan, calling him a “defeated man” and a “security risk” for the country after he addressed the nation and disclosed details of a “foreign conspiracy hatched to topple his government”.

In a statement, PML-N President and Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif maintained that the premier, in order to save his regime, was “targeting Pakistan”.

“Your corruption, arrogance and incompetence led the country to face economic, social and foreign catastrophe.”

Shehbaz sought a “ban” on PM Imran’s speeches, noting that he was trying to destroy the country’s diplomatic relations.

He then referred to the premier’s “threat letter” which he brandished in his March 27 rally and purportedly contained “evidence” of a foreign conspiracy to oust his government.

“To this day, the [threat] letter has not been shown to the people or to parliament but only its contents have been shared. Not showing the letter means that there is no letter and [PM] Imran Niazi like always is telling a new lie” Shehbaz said.

“After [PM] Imran’s false narrative of corruption and lies about building a mirror image of Riyasat-e-Madina, this conspiracy letter is the latest false narrative to save his sinking ship.” he added.

“Imran needs to realise that he will not be able to fool the nation as the people have rejected him and his every single lie.”

The PML-N president observed that the letter was in fact a diplomatic cable which was being presented as a conspiracy by the prime minister in order to “save his disastrous rule”.

He termed PM Imran a national security risk and asked him to “concentrate” on getting 172 members in parliament in order to save his government.

PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz called for “restricting” the premier, saying he was on a rampage and should be “gagged before he makes a joke of the country”.

In a tweet, she said, “Imran proves every day that he is not worthy of this seat”.

PML-N leader and former Defence Minister Khawaja Asif rejected PM Imran’s claim of a foreign plot, stating that the only conspiracy against the country was the ruling PTI’s foreign funding.

Addressing the media in Islamabad, the PML-N leader recalled premier’s statement that he “felt like having won the world cup” after his United States visit in 2019.

Asif was flanked by other party leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Khawaja Saad Rafique.

“How did the tables turn so drastically only to benefit his [PM’s] political interests?” Asif questioned.

“Why was a meeting of the National Security Committee not called when the letter was first received on March 7? Why was it delayed for three weeks?” he asked.

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“Why had this letter surfaced only after Imran saw the writing on the wall that he had lost majority in parliament?”

Asif said PM Imran was “left with nothing” other than leveling false accusations against the opposition because he had “lost to them”.

He said PTI’s “illegal” foreign funding showed what conspiracy against the state actually was. He said the foreign entities which had nothing to do with Pakistan or Islam funded PTI, which was the true evidence of a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan.

The PML-N leader observed that US was an economic power that could help Pakistan solve its economic problems. “Pakistan has friendly ties with China, GCC Countries and now even Russia, and there is no need to demonise any country just to serve the personal agenda.”

“Just to cater to his political agenda and interest, Imran Niazi is jeopardising Pakistan’s ties with Washington.”

PML-N senior leader Ahsan Iqbal said PM Imran was a “victim of his ego”. “Imran Niazi needs to see a psychiatric.”

He said the premier had isolated Pakistan diplomatically and asked him to accept his “defeat”.

Speaking on the occasion, Khawaja Saad Rafique said “Imran has lost his mind”. “His condition is pitiable.”

Talking to a private TV channel, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari called PM Imran a “defeated man” and said that he did not watch the “former prime minister's speech”.

“I believe that he is repeating the same things. Pakistanis have come to know that he is lying.  This man has not fulfilled a single promise in the past three years. Every promise has been a U-turn or betrayal.”

Bilawal alleged that PM Imran had made the country a slave of the IMF and harmed the Kashmir policy.

“He sabotaged the CPEC as per an international conspiracy. He did not spare our economy, foreign policy and democracy,” he said.

“When defeat that has come through a democratic mean is clear and there is no other way to escape it such blames (of foreign conspiracy) are not appropriate,” he added.

“If this man (PM Imran) says that he will not admit defeat it does not mean that he has not been defeated. He is a defeated man.”

The Bhutto scion asked the premier to take an “honourable exit” instead of “trying to find a safe exit”.

“He should have resigned [from premiership] in today's speech.”

Referring to PTI’s March 27 power show, Bilawal said the premier had made an “unsuccessful effort” to hold a big gathering in the federal capital.

“He (PM Imran) does not need millions of people, [but] only 172 members [to save his government]. 175 members of the opposition were present in the assembly today.”

The PPP chairman said the opposition proved that PM Imran had lost majority in the parliament. “His government has ended.”

“Pakistani nation is witness how the US President did not even call this man in the past three years.  Why would he threaten him?”