Envoy transfer exposes ‘letter’ drama: Maryam

Islamabad, April 6 : Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz has called out the alleged “threat letter” drama by Imran Khan as his last ditch attempt that was exposed by the sudden transfer of a key envoy. The main character behind the so-called ‘threat letter’, former ambassador to the US Asad Majid, was transferred to Belgium just a day before Pakistan Prime Minister Khan came up with the conspiracy drama to gain public sympathy, dawn quoted Nawaz as saying at a press conference on Tuesday. “The so-called ‘threat letter’ was drafted at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Pakistan’s ambassador to the US Asad Majid was abruptly transferred to Brussels a day before Imran Khan waved the letter at a public meeting. Why is this letter not presented before the Supreme Court and the nation? In fact there is no such (threat) letter,” she told the media in Lahore “The letter was a drama that was why the ambassador was transferred to Brussels overnight. This drama has completely been exposed,” she said. Nawaz urged the security establishment to take a clear position on the ‘threat letter’ perceived as a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan. “Imran Khan used the National Security Committee forum for his political narrative. He gave an impression that the NSC was with him on this issue but as a matter of fact it isn’t. “The security establishment should come forward and clear its position on the matter,” she said. Earlier, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, former president Asif Ali Zaradri and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman asked the military authorities to clarify their position on the government’s claim that the NSC had declared the opposition’s resolution a “part of foreign agenda”. PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif has also urged Chief of the Army Staff Gen Qamar Bajwa and ISI Director General Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum to present evidence of any alleged treason committed by the joint opposition. Opposition parties have also drawn the attention of the judiciary and the military establishment to the fact that Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had summarily declared 197 members of the National Assembly “traitors”. Maryam Nawaz said both National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had abrogated the Constitution on the order of Imran Khan and the three should be tried under Article 6. “The Constitution is not under the speaker or deputy speaker, but they must act under the Constitution,” she said, adding that Khan had also abrogated the Constitution only to cling to power for a few more days as he was afraid that his corruption stories would soon be exposed. On April 3, Imran Khan was quoted as saying that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu had reportedly in a meeting with Ambassador Asad Majeed warned there could be implications if he survived the opposition’s no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, Dawn reported. Last week, the US government rejected the allegations of its involvement in the no-confidence motion against Khan. “Allegations of US involvement in the no-trust motion and ‘threat letter’ to PM Imran Khan are baseless,” Geo News quoted the US State Department as saying. Rubbishing the allegation by Khan that a conspiracy against his government was hatched during the opposition leaders’ meeting with diplomats, Nawaz said: “We meet foreign diplomats for the betterment of Pakistan. Here are the pictures of Imran’s meeting with diplomats before the 2018 polls…what we should infer from this?” she asked. The PML(N) leader alleged that Farah Khan, a close friend of First Lady Bushra Bibi, was in fact the chief minister of Punjab, as Usman Buzdar was just a “dummy”. Farah had on Sunday left for Dubai amid serious allegations of taking bribes in postings and transfers through former CM Buzdar. “Imran Khan helped Farah flee the country to save his skin. She may be brought back through Interpol. We want all such characters to be placed on no-fly list,” Nawaz demanded. ING