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In his infantile address, Imran Khan declares he will not allow the opposition’s Shehbaz Sharif to succeed him as Prime Minister

In his probably last address to the nation, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke like a defeated leader who had run out of options to save his premiership (Pic. Courtesy Twitter/@ani_digital)

In an infantile address, probably his last before he is unseated during a no-confidence motion on Saturday, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan  spoke like a defeated leader who had run out of options to save his premiership.

In his 45 minutes monologue, Khan twice praised India for its sovereignty and successful foreign policies indirectly taking jibe at the Pakistani military establishment. Like his previous speeches, this last one too was full of self-praise and hyperbole  Khan said that  he  respected the country's judiciary, but at same time chided  the Supreme Court for not initiating a probe on whether the no-confidence motion against him was triggered by foreign forces with connivance of comprador politicians within.  

Khan went ballistic against PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, “who apparently has prepared his sherwani for the oath-taking ceremony”, for being the linchpin in this “foreign conspiracy.”

Watch Video Imran Khan’s address to Nation

While Khan did not disclose his future plans, he made it clear that he will never recognise Shehbaz Sharif as the PM.

Earlier addressing his parliamentary meeting on Friday afternoon, Khan mounted a personal attack against Sharif. “There is no way that I or my government will resign…just wait and see what I will do…Won't let Shehbaz Sharif become PM..They can't stop us, Nation is with us.”

He also told his members that “Shehbaz Sharif will not be able to wear Achkan (sherwani suit)… we are not going anywhere… en masse resignation from assembly will be tantamount to making foreign conspiracy successful.”

Khan has also targeted the military, the creator a “hybrid regime” under Khan, where the army would be in charge of back-seat driving of the government.

Earlier,  Imran Khan had ordered a commission headed by a retired four-star general Tariq Khan to investigate the "threat letter" allegedly sent from the United States which was to give its findings in 90 days. But according to Geo TV, Tariq Khan  refused heading the investigation. 

“Faced with a clear SC verdict that certifies illegalities committed by Imran Khan & Co., a vote of no-confidence in less than 24 hours, it is delusional to have announced a commission to peddle a conspiracy theory. Gen Tariq did the right thing by not becoming a party here,” says veteran Pakistani columnist in his Twitter post.

There are reports that a defiant Khan is planning to file a review petition in the Supreme Court asking that “no vote of no confidence should be taken until the letter of foreign conspiracy is investigated.”

“As long as the nation won’t side with what is good…this attempt for a regime change in the country from abroad. Now the nation has to guard it,” Khan said in an interview televised on the state-run Pakistan Television on Friday.

“Imran Khan wanted to make public the letter but today morning a very powerful person visited his house and after that he decided to constitute a commission,” says one Pakistan watcher  referring to the  report of the  ISI chief’s visit to Khan’s residence. It is being said that Khan was told not to make the letter public under the official secret act of the country.

Meanwhile, following the order of the Supreme Court, the Pakistan National Assembly’s session for voting on the no-confidence motion against Khan will take place on Saturday morning.

The court has ordered the speaker to summon the session not later than 10:30am to allow the vote on the no-confidence motion against the PM Khan and the whole process has to be finished on the same day.

Meanwhile Khan has asked his party members to organise rallies and convey to the people how the Supreme Court tried to remove an elected government in connivance with the opposition.

His own minister Sheikh Rashid told the media that mass resignations from the treasury benches could resolve the current political turmoil. Rashid said that he was trying to convince Khan for the last three months that please “ tender your resignations, dissolve the assemblies, impose an emergency, impose governor's rule. I was right in all instances, but he did not listen.”

Watch Video: 

Khan has lost his majority in the house after over a dozen lawmakers from his party as well as the government’s coalition partners defected to the opposition. The opposition requires 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly to oust Khan from office.

If he loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister.

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said after the court ruling that the opposition had nominated him to take over should Khan be ousted.

Also Read: After the Supreme Court verdict jubilant opposition seizes initiative to form new government in Pakistan