Body to probe Imran’s ‘foreign conspiracy drama’

Marriyum says allegations attempt to cause irreparable damage to country

ISLAMABAD:

The federal government has decided to constitute an inquiry commission to probe the alleged "foreign conspiracy", which former premier Imran Khan had been claiming was behind the removal of his government.

Addressing a news conference in Islamabad on Thursday, Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb maintained that the commission would “fairly decide that the narrative of a foreign conspiracy was all a drama and the real character behind it was Imran Khan”.

LIVE #APPNews : Federal Minister for Information & Broadcasting @Marriyum_A addressing news conference #Islamabad https://t.co/6bdiElFiM3

— APP 🇵🇰 (@appcsocialmedia) May 5, 2022

“These allegations are an attempt to cause irreparable damage to our country,” she added.

The minister warned that if the commission found out that the allegations were false, the people who levelled them would be dealt with as per the law.

The minister added that the terms of reference of the commission would be presented before the cabinet for approval in its next meeting.

The head of the commission would be a person whose credibility could not be challenged by anyone, she added.

Marriyum claimed that the allegations were aimed at covering up the corruption of Farah Khan alias Gogi, a close friend of Imran’s wife Bushra Bibi.

Also read: NSC finds ‘no conspiracy’ against PTI govt

The minister added that the PTI-led government had facilitated the opening of around 34 bank accounts between 2018 and 2022, most of them in the name of Farah. "Rs870.4 million were transferred into those accounts during this period."

The minister maintained that inflation in the country was at an all-time high because of former PM Imran’s incompetence, inefficiency, and plunder.

Marriyum maintained that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had given relief to the people from years of inflation in just two weeks.

“Today, after four years, people are availing cheap sugar, wheat flour and ghee because today cartels and mafia are not imposed on them.”

The minister claimed that “economic terrorists” had looted the country for four years and planted "economic landmines" before they left.

She said brotherly countries, including Saudi Arabia and the UAE, were forging business partnerships for the country's development while in the past, former PM Imran begged for assistance.

Marriyum said the government was also determined to protect the freedom of expression, which had become obscure during the tenure of the previous regime.

A few days ago, former PM Imran had drafted letters to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and President Dr Arif Alvi, urging them to investigate the summary of an official meeting held at the Pakistan Embassy with Donald Lu, US assistant secretary of state for South Asia and another American official.

In the letters, Imran declared that the summary contained proof that the vote of no-confidence – which saw him removed from power on April 9 – was part of a “foreign-funded conspiracy”.