Imran Khan chairs National Security Committee meeting ahead of no-trust vote
Mar 31, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 31 : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday chaired National Security Committee (NSC) meeting ahead of the no-trust vote.
The information about the meeting with NSC was shared by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry. He said that the NSC meeting will be held at PM House today at 2 pm, reported Geo News.
Chaudhry had also said that Khan has decided to address the nation later tonight. Meanwhile, a debate on the no-trust motion against Khan is set to take place in today's National Assembly session at 4 pm.
Meanwhile, on Wednesday, Chaudhry had revealed that Imran Khan met the military leadership of the country twice, adding that the Pakistan Army is responsible for the national security of the country.
Reports indicate that both Army Chief General Qamar Bajwa and ISI Chief Lt Gen Hameed told Imran Khan to hand in his resignation before the OIC Conference in Islamabad on 23 March.
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).
Khan has also decided to show senior journalists "written evidence" of the letter he has been saying contains proof of a foreign conspiracy against Pakistan's government, reported Geo News.
Chaudhry also invited a group of journalists to meet PM Imran Khan where selected details of the letter were shared with them.
Khan 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.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan received a massive blow when the PTI lost the majority in the National Assembly after losing its key ally in the coalition Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). The MQM announced (30 March) it had struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and would support the no-trust vote. This means that PTI has only 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly.
The government's survival is dependent on the support of allies such as MQM-P (7 seats), BAP (5 seats), PML(Q) (5 seats), GDA (3 seats), AML (1 seat), JWP (1 seat) and two independents.
As the PTI knows it may not have the numbers, its leaders have been trying to convince its ally MQM-P not to join the opposition! On the other hand, Imran Khan has approached the Courts seeking a lifetime ban for those PTI party members who vote against him.
