Disappointed by Pakistan SC verdict: Imran Khan

Islamabad, April 8 : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said that he was disappointed by the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the restoration of National Assembly issued on Thursday. “I am disappointed by the Supreme Court ruling but I accepted it,” he said. The Prime Minister said he was saddened by the verdict, which set aside NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling to dismiss the no-trust resolution against him and the subsequent dissolution of the lower house of parliament by President Arif Alvi on the Prime Minister’s advice. The apex court should’ve at least seen the ‘threat letter’ before issuing the verdict, he said. “There was foreign interference in Pakistan’s no-confidence. I wanted the SC to at least look at it, it was a very serious allegation that a foreign country wants to topple the government through a conspiracy.” He claimed that during the meeting between the Pakistani ambassador and the US official, the latter complained that “I [Imran Khan] should not have visited [Russia],” reported Geo News. The Prime Minister claimed that the US official had warned the Pakistani ambassador that if Imran Khan manages to save himself from the motion, then Pakistan will have to face ‘severe consequences’. Criticising the US official for his arrogance, Khan alleged that the official told the ambassador that if Imran Khan is ousted, Pakistan will be spared, no matter who takes the charge. “The West realised that I am raising voice against the drone attacks and the Iraq War and that they cannot control my actions… so all this drama is staged to remove one person [Imran Khan],” he further alleged. Questioning the democratic practice followed by the opposition, he said open horse trading and “buying and selling of consciences of lawmakers” was going on in the country… “Which democracy in the world allows this? “We hoped that Supreme Court would also take suo motu notice against horse-trading,” he added. In the conclusion of his speech, PM Khan asked his supporters to stage protests across the country when the “new imported government” comes to power on Sunday. “I will never accept the ‘imported’ government and will take to the streets,” Khan said. On Thursday, Pakistan Supreme Court restored the National Assembly after it declared the government’s decision to dissolve the Assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling against the Constitution. The top court of Pakistan ordered National Assembly Speaker Asad Qasier to summon the session on April 9 and not later than 10:30 am, to allow vote on the no-confidence motion against the premier. MYK RJ