Daily Times

Federal Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Tuesday said Prime Minister Imran Khan was ready to show the letter, which he believed was evidence of an attempt to topple his government, with Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to assure the nation of the international conspiracy. In his speech at a massive public gathering in Islamabad on March 27, the prime minister had referred to the letter saying its content made it clear that foreign elements were involved in the opposition’s no-confidence motion against him. Addressing a press conference at Islamabad along with Information Minister Fawad Hussain Chaudhry, he said the principle character behind this plot against the government was former prime minister Nawaz Sharif sitting in London facilitating the international establishment. Besides, he said, the senior leadership of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was also knowingly involved in this conspiracy. Umar further said the senior leadership of the Pakistan Democratic Movement was also aware of “how the contents of the letter are linked to the no-confidence motion”. “The national secrets are of highly sensitive nature. And there are laws that such secrets cannot be shared with everyone. However, in order to satisfy the people about the authenticity of the letter, the prime minister has agreed to show it to the most reliable person with good reputation – Chief Justice Supreme Court of Pakistan”, the minister said. Asad Umar highlighted that the most important aspect of that letter was that it was written before presentation of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly in which there was direct reference of the motion, so no one can deny this fact.

“I myself have read the letter, therefore I am giving the statement with full confidence,” he said, adding that the letter had been shared only with the top civil and military leadership and only two or three cabinet members were among those with whom the letter was shared. With respect to the content of the letter, the minister highlighted that it was written clearly that if the no-confidence motion would not succeed, and if PM Imran Khan remained in office, the repercussions would be horrible. Asad Umar maintained that the letter was directly focused on Pakistan’s foreign policy which made it clear that the message was linked to the no-confidence motion and it was totally inter-linked with the foreign elements.

It also makes it clear that the senior leadership of the PDM was in contact with those foreign elements, the minister added. Since the letter was directly linked with the nation, therefore the PM decided to inform his people about what was happening behind the scene. He said the PM wanted to convey the realities to all the parliament members, whether they were defected members of PTI, or they belonged to the opposition parties, who were not aware of the conspiracy. He said after unearthing of such realities, except few, all such members of the parliament who were unknowingly becoming part of this international plot would distance themselves from the motion. “Now I believe that they would never be ready to become part of such international conspiracy,” he added.

Replying to a question, he said the people, including few senior media persons who were claiming to have the copy of that letter, were lying because it had never been showed to any such irrelevant person. Replying to another question, Asad Umar said keeping in view the sensitivity of the secret, the government could not risk sharing the letter with the 342 members of the parliament.

The opposition, however, has turned down the narrative that a foreign conspiracy plot is being hatched to oust the government and berated PM Imran Khan for shifting blame for his “incompetence”. Fawad Chaudhry claimed that Nawaz Sharif had also held meetings with Israeli diplomats.

“This is why I was saying that he should not be allowed to go abroad, because when such people go abroad they become a stooge, a weapon of the international establishment,” he said. Addressing a charged PDM rally in Islamabad, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had said no foreign powers were working against the incumbent government as the prime minister himself was the “biggest threat” to the country.