PM Imran says he accepts SC verdict, terms 'US intervention' a humiliation for 220mln Pakistanis

Islamabad: Prime Minister Imran Khan has said he accepts the Supreme Court's verdict issued a day ago regarding restoration of the National Assembly.

In another televised address to the nation, the premier said he was saddned by the verdict of the Supreme Court as at least the probe on the “foreign conspiracy” matter should had been initiated.

"I respect the Supreme Court and the judiciary, but the apex court should have looked at the threat letter before issuing the verdict," he said. 

He said the deputy speaker prorogued the assembly and set aside the no-confidence motion in light of Article 5 of the Constitution.

"There was foreign interference in Pakistan's no-confidence. I wanted the SC to at least looked at it, it was a very serious allegation that a foreign country wants to topple the government through a conspiracy."

Khans said since he started his party 26 years ago he had been following the principles of justice, welfare state and humanity.

The premier said open horse trading and "buying and selling of consciences of lawmakers" was going on in the country. "Every child knows the price at which consciences are being sold."

"What kind of democracy is this? Which democracy in the world allows this? And the biggest forum for justice, the judiciary, we expected it to take suo motu action if nothing else."

He recalled that he went to jail only once when the movement for independence of judiciary was being carried out.

Imran Khan urged the people of Pakistan to come out of their homes tomorrow (Sunday and stage peaceful protests after Isha prayer for their rights and to record their voice against-- what he called -- "imported government-designate".

"I will recognise the imported governemnt at all," Khan made it clear.   

Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday expressed his firm resolve not to let an “imported government” be imposed in Pakistan to serve the interests of foreign powers.

“Pakistan did not come into being to follow the diktats of foreign powers. Our Kalima La Illah Illallah and Iyaka Nabado wa Iyaka Nastaeen are our guiding principles,” he said and added that the country was created by the sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of precious lives from a united India in 1947.

Khan urged the nation, particularly the youth to rise and stand with him in his struggle to protect the sovereignty of Pakistan.

“Your future is at stake. If you do not take a stand to protect the sovereignty of our country, we will continue to remain subservient. The nation has to rise together to save Pakistan,” he said in an impassioned tone.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said Pakistan desired good relations with all countries on basis of mutual respect. “Imran Khan is not anti-American, but we are not like a tissue paper to be used and trashed.”

He said he had struggled for his party’s success for 14 years. “The people used to make fun of us, but with the blessings of Allah we rose to this stature.”

He said he had neither any property, nor any bank accounts abroad and had nothing to lose, and his only objective was to raise the dignity and prestige of Pakistan.

He recalled the decision to dissolve the National Assembly last Saturday and said he took the decision so that he could go back to the people who had brought him to the place, and participate in a fresh election, in a perfectly democratic way.

“However, the group of politicians, who got NRO 1 (National Reconciliation Ordinance 1) earlier, now have NRO 2 and their objective is to disband the National Accountability Bureau, stop the corruption cases, as almost all of them [leaders of the PDM alliance] are on bail. But please understand that it is your money that they have looted.”

He said the opposition alliance was against the use of Electronic Voting Machines as “they (opposition do not want free, fair and transparent elections, and deny the voting rights to overseas Pakistanis”.