The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, in what is expected to be his final address before the National Assembly decides his fate addressed the nation on Saturday. He opened his address by reminding the people that a time comes for every nation when it reaches a crossroad where the fate of its future is decided; he added that such a time had come for Pakistan. He said that “This is a war for the future of the country.” Following his initial remarks, the Prime Minister then talked about the country’s current political situation and said that “The politics of Pakistan has reached a point today where the nation has to decide where you want to take the country today.”
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He added that right now, there is a conspiracy against the government, and politicians were being bought like goats to topple the government. Talking about the conspiracy, the Prime Minister said that he would take legal action against the collaborators. PM Khan said that he had been in contact with lawyers and that he had decided to take legal action against those who betrayed the country. The Prime Minister said, “All of them will be punished. We will decide by tonight the kind of legal action we want to take against them.” The PM also urged the youth to stage peaceful protests adding that “You don’t have to sit silently [because] if you stay quiet, you will be on the side of the bad. I want you to protest and speak up against this conspiracy —not for me but for your future […] I want you to come out and protest today and tomorrow. Come out for peaceful protests.”
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The broadcast began roughly an hour before the sun had set and lasted around sixty minutes. The Prime Minister also took live calls from the people and addressed their queries in a live question and answer session. In the short while when there were some problems with the landline, Senator Faisal Javed Khan read out questions posted on Twitter for the Prime Minister to answer.
The Prime Minister underlined the two things that had kept Pakistan united: “First is the army of Pakistan and second is PTI because it’s a party that has kept the country connected.” He added, “Initially, it was the PPP,” referring to the time of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. “Except for Zulfikar Bhutto Zardari, our country has never had an independent foreign policy. And then too, Mir Jaffers such as Fazlur Rehman and Nawaz Sharif had gotten him killed by conspiring with the foreign powers,” the Prime Minister added. The Prime Minister acclaimed the need for an independent foreign policy and said that the country’s sovereignty was under threat.
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It is pertinent to mention that the vote of no-confidence is due to take place tomorrow, and the fate of Imran Khan’s government will be decided by tomorrow afternoon. Recent developments suggest that the Prime Minister would be sent home packing, but the Prime Minister says, “Don’t worry. A captain always has a plan, and this time I have more than one plan… god willing we will win tomorrow. I will defeat them in the Assembly.”