New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday made claims that he has credible information on his life being in danger. He also asserted that he is not afraid and will continue his fight for an independent and democratic Pakistan.
Khan’s statements came ahead of the no-confidence motion that is scheduled to take place on Sunday in the Pakistan National Assembly. Appearing for an interview with ARY News, Khan also revealed that the establishment has given him three options - a no-confidence vote, early elections, or resignation as the Prime Minister.
"I said an early election is the best option, I could never think of resigning and for no-trust motion, I believe that I will fight till the last minute,” he said during the interview.
Khan also added that his life was in danger along with his wife and the character assassination was also a resort taken by the opposition.
“Let me inform my nation that my life is at risk too, they have also planned for my character assassination. Not only myself but my wife too,” the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician said.
Responding to a question about the opposition, he said that he does not think he should talk about people like the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif.
“If we survive (the no-confidence vote), we cannot of course work with these turncoats (who left PTI to join the Opposition), early elections are the best option, I will urge my nation to give me a simple majority so that I won't have to do compromises,” he said.
He further added that he knew about the no-confidence motion since August last year as opposition leaders were visiting embassies and termed it as a conspiracy.
"This game started in August [last year] I received reports about people frequently visiting London from here [Pakistan] and [also received] reports from agencies,” he said.
He also alleged that former premier Nawaz Sharif, who has been living in London since 2019 for medical treatment, was plotting against his government.
“He was frequently holding meetings with individuals who are against the military and held the last meeting with Hussain Haqqani on March 3,” Khan claimed.
Haqqani was the ambassador of Pakistan in Washington between 2008 and 2011 and was forced to retire as the establishment was not happy with him.
Khan also termed the opposition parties, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), as a “disgrace" to the country and said it was due to their policies in the past that a foreign power was openly calling for a regime change in Pakistan.
“This is an alarming situation. Why on earth have we stooped so low that foreign countries are openly threatening us?” he asked.
He said that the foreign country objected to his independent foreign policy, ARY News reported.
Khan said the threat memo did not only demand a regime change but clearly mentioned that he should be removed as the prime minister.
When asked about reports that he was thinking of firing the army chief, Khan rejected them by saying that it was propaganda spread by PML-N .
“I can never think of doing anything which is detrimental to our armed forces our country needs a strong military,” he said.
Khan's address came at a critical juncture of his political career when he lost the majority after defection from his PTI party. Two of his allied parties also withdrew their support and joined the ranks of the Opposition.