PM Imran Khan chairs NSC meeting as no-trust motion pressure mounts

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan is chairing a National Security Committee (NSC) meeting, as the political pressure on the premier mounts amid a no-trust motion against him floating in the National Assembly.

Earlier today, in two back-to-back decisions, the premier summoned the NSC meeting and decided to address the nation later tonight. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced both updates on his Twitter handle.

These developments came just hours before the start of a crucial NA session at 4pm today (Thursday) and a day after PM Imran decided to show senior journalists “written evidence” of the letter he has been saying contains proof of a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan’s government.

A debate on the no-trust motion against the premier is set to take place in today’s NA session.

The NSC meeting is being held at PM House, while a confirmed time for the PM’s public address is yet to be communicated by the government.

On Wednesday, Fawad had revealed that the premier met th military leadership of the country twice, adding that the Pakistan Army is responsible for the national security of the country.

‘Threat letter’ controversy

A day earlier, the premier had shared the “threat letter” he talked of with Cabinet members in an emergency meeting. The meeting was not attended by PTI’s two major allies — MQM-P and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).

Meanwhile, Fawad also invited a group of journalists to meet PM Imran Khan where selected details of the letter were shared with them.

The premier had said that a Pakistani envoy posted in a foreign country wrote the memo that he flashed on March 27 at a PTI rally and termed it “threatening”, sources told Geo News.

The premier, while interacting with journalists, said the envoy had sent the letter to Pakistan after he met an official of a foreign country, according to sources.

PM Imran Khan said the memo was shared with the military leadership and mentioned that the tone used in the cable was “threatening.”

The prime minister said the memo would be shared with parliamentarians during an in-camera session, but noted that the name of the country that “threatened” Pakistan could not be shared — as national security laws are applicable.

Meanwhile, Speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaiser took to his Twitter handle and said that if the Parliamentary leaders from the government and Opposition sides agree, the issue of the “sensitive letter” can be discussed at an in-camera meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security.

Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar, who attended the briefing, according to sources, told the journalists that the memo mentions that if the no-confidence motion passes, everything will be forgiven for Pakistan.

Umar further said that the letter mentions that “in case of its failure, the problems for Pakistan will increase.”

In his March 27 address to a PTI rally, the prime minister had revealed that “foreign elements” are involved in the attempts to topple his government and said, “some of our own people” are being used for this.