Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan.
Highlight
- An hour-long meeting between Pakistan PM Imran Khan and Army Chief General Bajwa
- Pak ISI chief was also present in the meeting which was unexpected
- Sources say the meeting was about the impending no-confidence vote which Imran Khan is trying to thwart
Pakistan has been surrounded by speculation after an unscheduled meeting between Prime Minister Imran Khan and the country’s army chief General Qamar Bajwa on Friday amid a growing political crisis.
The one-hour-long meeting between Imran Khan and General Bajwa and ISI chief Lt Gen Nadeem Anjum was “unexpected”.
Although the Pakistani military told the media that they discussed “matters of mutual national, regional and international interest”, sources say the meeting was about an imminent no-confidence vote that Imran Khan is trying to thwart by using “illegal” means. trying.
“While Khan complained to Bajwa about his ‘neutrality’, the army chief advised him to follow the Constitution and act responsibly,” the source said.
This was the first meeting between the two after Khan hit back at Army Chief General Bajwa for claiming political neutrality and said in a shocking outburst, “only animals remain neutral”.
A defiant Khan had also publicly stated that Bajwa had asked him not to call opposition leader Fazal ur Rehman “diesel”, but Khan told his supporters that he told Bajwa, the whole country was referring to Rahman as “diesel”. ” says.
There was speculation in the Pakistani media that Imran Khan, facing imminent defeat, might try to impose emergency in the country. He may also try to replace General Bajwa.
“It would be suicidal for Khan. If he loses the support of the majority in the assembly, he will lose his power to declare an emergency. He can shout about the military establishment but if he attacks Bajwa, he will have to Will be removed immediately. Khan should act democratically and responsibly for his own sake,” says Daily Jung’s Irshad Bhatti, adding that Bajwa may have asked Imran Khan to step down voluntarily as his government has been reduced to a minority.
But Imran Khan is adamant on remaining in power. Some of his colleagues and disgruntled members once again proposed that PM Imran Khan should step aside to save the government and let someone else step in as prime minister. But the “minus-formula” proposal was rejected by an apparently angry Imran Khan. According to Daily Jung, Khan accused him of being bought out by the opposition.
Urdu daily Daily Jung quoted Khan as saying, “If you want to go, go ahead, but remember, I will take such steps against you that no one would dare to stab you in the back.”
Disgruntled leaders of Imran Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have accused him of using state police and law-enforcement agencies to prevent insurgents from voting. Khan has also asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to disqualify the rebel members and reject their votes, but according to Pakistani experts, the speaker can take action against the rebels only after they have voted, not before that.
But Khan is in no mood to listen to “sensible” advice. He has called on his supporters to gather at Islamabad’s D-Chowk to surround parliament and intimidate lawmakers on polling day, forcing the military establishment to “secure” Islamabad ahead of the OIC meeting.
Gen Bajwa has directed his generals to take comprehensive security measures to ensure the peaceful conduct of the OIC Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting and the Pakistan Day Parade. The OIC Foreign Ministers’ Council meeting is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on March 22-23, while the Pakistan Day Parade is scheduled to take place on March 23.
read also , Terror funding case: Court frames charges against Yasin Malik, others