NSC finds ‘no conspiracy’ against PTI govt

The National Security Committee (NSC) has concluded that no evidence of “foreign conspiracy” to topple Imran Khan’s government has been found, but at the same time it endorsed the decisions taken in its previous meeting.

In its last session, chaired by then premier Imran Khan, the high-powered forum on March 31 denounced as “unacceptable under any circumstances” what it called “blatant interference” in Pakistan’s internal affairs by an unnamed country. It had also decided that Pakistan would issue a strong demarche to the country in question which was followed through.

Friday’s meeting of the NSC – which was chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif – concluded that based on the input of security agencies as well as former Pakistan ambassador to the US, no evidence of a foreign conspiracy had been found.

Participants of the meeting included federal ministers Khawaja Asif, Rana Sanaullah, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Ahsan Iqbal, Minister of State Hina Rabbani Khar, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee General Nadeem Raza, Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Muhammad Amjad Khan Niazi, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmad Babar, former Pakistan envoy to the US Asad Majeed and senior civil and military officers.

A statement issued by the PM Office said the NSC discussed a telegram received from Pakistan Embassy in Washington. The former Pakistan envoy to the US briefed the committee on the context and content of his telegram. The NSC, after examining the content of the communication, reaffirmed the decisions of its previous meeting.

The NSC was again informed by the premier security agencies that they had found no evidence of any conspiracy. “Therefore, the NSC after reviewing the contents of the communication, the assessments received, and the conclusions presented by the security agencies, concludes that there has been no foreign conspiracy.”

Also read: Imran warns of consequences if ‘conspiracy’ succeeds

According to sources, the military leadership had already informed the then prime minister on March 31 that there was no evidence of foreign conspiracy. But the military’s input was not made part of the statement – for reasons best known to the then government.

The foreign conspiracy claim was first made by Imran on March 27 at a public rally in Islamabad. He claimed that the opposition’s no-confidence move was part of a US-orchestrated conspiracy to topple his government because he had defied Washington on his Russia visit.

Subsequently, the NSC was convened on March 31 to discuss the diplomatic cable. “The committee expressed grave concern at the communication, terming the language used by the foreign official as undiplomatic," according to a statement issued after the meeting. The NSC concluded that it amounted to "blatant interference in the internal affairs of Pakistan by the country in question".

It termed the interference "unacceptable under any circumstances".

“The committee decided that Pakistan will issue a strong demarche to the country in question both in Islamabad and in the country's capital through proper channel in line with diplomatic norms,” according to the statement.

Friday’s NSC meeting endorsed what DG ISPR Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar told a news briefing on April 14. He rejected the claims of a foreign conspiracy, saying that the NSC statement did not mention the word “conspiracy”, rather it talked about “interference”.

“The demarche was given for undiplomatic language and is equal to interference,” he told the journalists.

The PTI celebrated the DG ISPR’s statement as vindication of its stance.

The deposed prime minister, however, insists that there was an American conspiracy against his government. "This conspiracy against our country ... I want you to carefully listen ... was it a conspiracy or an interference? Raise your hands and tell me if it was interference or a conspiracy,” Imran asked a huge crowd of supporters in Karachi on April 16.

“There was a conspiracy against this country at a very vast international scale,” he claimed.

In a statement issued by the Foreign Office in response to press queries regarding Ambassador Asad Majeed Khan’s remarks at the NSC meeting, the spokesperson made clear that Ambassador Khan briefed the NSC about the context and content of the Cypher Telegram in question, and shared his professional assessment. “His briefing and assessment are accurately reflected in the statement issued at the conclusion of the NSC meeting today (Friday).”