Imran Khan tells Pakistan: Will not resign, will fight traitors till the end
Imran said those asking for his resignation should know that even as a cricketer, he would always fight till the end. That attitude, Imran said, has not changed.
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FollowPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday addressed the country ahead of the no-confidence motion against his government and reiterated that he will not resign from his post. Speaking to the citizens, Imran said those asking for his resignation should know that even as a cricketer, he would always fight till the end. That attitude, Imran said, has not changed.
He said, "Some people are asking me to resign. Even as a cricketer, people knew I would always fight till the end. People now know that the people who switched sides have sold their soul. I still have hope. I appeal to those sitting on the other side. People will not forget and forgive you. People will say that you ran down the country, opposed its independent foreign policy." He further said that if people think the conspiracy would succeed, he ensured that he would oppose them. The Pakistan PM further urged citizens to remember the faces of these traitors.
Khan further said, "America... some nation... sent us a message that was not just against the prime minister but against the people of Pakistan. They already knew that Opposition was rallying against the government." He said the message stated that the anger against Pakistan will subside and will be forgiven if Imran Khan loses the no-confidence vote, otherwise it will face consequences.
He added, "There was no reasoning given. They said Imran decided arbitrarily to visit Russia when it was planned by the administration. They said that relations with Pakistan cannot improve till Imran Khan is Prime Minister."
He said, "On Sunday, the verdict will come on which way this country is headed. Will it be governed by those who have serious corruption cases against them? They are blaming me for the ills of Pakistan. Did Pakistan's suffering start in the last thee and a half years? Was it not the case in their tenure?"
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Talking about his visit to Russia, he said, "Other nations can engage with Russia. But they have a problem with Imran Khan going to Russia. There are stooges here who want Imran goes and they can take my place." He questioned, "Can these stooges, who have corruption cases worth crores of rupees against them since 30 years and who have two BBC documentaries stating their corruption, be allowed to be in power in Pakistan."
He further said, "The foreign country knows in-depth about each of these three people. 400 drone attacks happened during their tenure in power. They kept quiet. Not once did they spoke up. This is why that country prefers them over me." He said Shehbaz Sharif or his brother (Nawaz) has never stood up for Pakistan and that's because they (foreign country) know where all their ill-gotten wealth is.
Slamming the West further, he said the US has used Pakistan as per their convenience. Khan further said the assistance they provided, the lives that were lost but no other US ally suffered the losses that Pakistan did as lives of 80,000 Pakistani forces were lost.
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"Pakistan gave no credit for its contributions (in war on terror). US claimed 'double standards' of Pakistan's foreign policy that cost them the war. They called me 'Taliban Khan'. No senior politicians in Pakistan spoke up. They were wary of US retribution. US was judge, jury and executioner, and the then administrators of Pakistan allowed the free run," he added.
Elaborating over his tenure, he said he has criticed policies of the West. "During the meeting on war on terror, even when I was in Opposition, I kept saying that Pakistan need not join the war on terror. I kept asking, 'why should we keep sacrificing Pakistani lives. There were no Pakistanis involved in the terror attacks'," added Khan.
Speaking further, he said Pakistan was insulted during "war on terror". He added that he has always said that he would not bow down before anyone. "You can see my statements in the past. When I came to power, I decided that our foreign policy will be independent," he added.
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"When I started my politics 25 years ago, it was based on three principles in my manifesto. First was 'Insaaf' (justice), 'Insaniyat' (humanity) and 'Khuddari' (not bowing before anyone)," Khan said. He said, "I'm fortunate that God gave me everything -- fame, wealth, everything. I don't need anything today, he gave me everything for which I am very thankful. Pakistan is only 5 yrs older than me, I'm from the 1st generation of country to be born after independence."
He said, "When I became Pakistan Prime Minister, our foreign policy was not even anti-India. When India changed Kashmir's status, that is when I spoke against India."
Earlier, Fawad Chaudhry stated on Twitter, "Prime Minister Imran Khan will keep fighting till the end."
The address came as the Pakistan National Assembly prepares to debate the no-confidence resolution against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's administration in the Lower House session. The Pakistan National Assembly was unexpectedly postponed till Sunday on Thursday as opposition MPs requested an early vote on a no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan, who has essentially lost control in the lower house.
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The vote is slated on April 3, and the two sides will argue in the assembly forum prior to that day. The opposition parties' position has increased as two of the government's main allies, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), have joined the opposition front.
When the government's coalition partners abandoned it, the government's majority was cut, and pressure is mounting on the cricketer-turned-politician.
To defeat the Opposition's effort to oust Khan, he needs 172 votes out of 342 in the lower chamber. However, the chairman of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, declared that the Opposition has the support of 175 parliamentarians and that the prime minister should resign.
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