Rival pro-government and opposition supporters descend on Islamabad ahead of a no-confidence motion on Imran Khan.
PTI leaders said they expected more than a million people to attend the rally, even though some say the venue cannot accommodate more than 30,000.
The opposition is likely to table the motion of no confidence on Monday. After at least three days of debate, the vote can take place and must be held within seven days.
The PTI has 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly and needs at least 172 lawmakers on its side to remain in the government.
Imran Khan was voted out as Pakistan’s prime minister early on Sunday, ending weeks of political uncertainty that had fuelled a devaluation of the rupee, dragged down the country’s stock market and forced the central bank to raise interest rates.
Following a tense session of the lower house of parliament that began on Saturday morning, a coalition of Pakistan’s opposition parties gained the support of 174 members in the 342-seat house to pass a vote of no confidence against Khan.
Many will have forgotten this but it was not long ago that under Imran Khan's govt. itself the corrupt Supreme Court and the faasiq military orchestrated a sham trial to free a convicted blasphemer. They were doing that at that time to appease their masters. And he watched silently.
Cut to present day and the same corrupt court and same faasiq military orchestrated another sham to get rid of Imran Khan, in order to appease their masters.
If this is not poetic justice, I don't know what is.
What happened at the Prime Minister's House on Saturday night?
Amid the uproar of the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, extraordinary activity took place in the Prime Minister's House on Saturday night, during which some historic decisions and events took place, some in front of the cameras and most in closed rooms.
Parliament House was the center of activity throughout the day on Saturday, with speeches sometimes held and meetings adjourned, with government and opposition members holding talks between the Speaker and the National Assembly.
But in the evening, when the National Assembly session was adjourned for Iftar, the center of activity suddenly became the Prime Minister's House.
Prime Minister Imran Khan convened an emergency meeting of the federal cabinet, along with his legal and political advisers, the speaker and deputy speaker, and some bureaucrats.
The cabinet meeting approved the release of the alleged cable to some officials, which former Prime Minister Imran Khan said contained details of a US plot to overthrow his government.
Meanwhile, the Speaker of the National Assembly and the Deputy Speaker also reached the Prime Minister's House but were asked to wait in the lounge next to the Prime Minister's Office.
Meanwhile, two uninvited guests also reached the Prime Minister's House by helicopter, surrounded by extraordinary security and well-armed men and met the Prime Minister in private for about a quarter of an hour.
An hour ago, the then Prime Minister Imran Khan had ordered the removal of a senior official present at the meeting. Therefore, the sudden arrival of these uninvited guests was unexpected for the Prime Minister. Imran Khan was waiting for the helicopter but his guesses and expectations about the passengers of this helicopter proved to be completely wrong.
Sources said that the former prime minister was expecting that his newly appointed officials would reach the Prime Minister's House in this helicopter and after that the noise which started from Parliament House after the Supreme Court decision would subside.
It may have happened, but the problem was that the legal document (notification) that should have been issued by the Ministry of Defense for this highest dismissal and a new appointment could not be issued, thus thwarting the Prime Minister's House's attempt at this 'revolutionary' change.
By the way, even if this process of removal was completed on the order of the Prime Minister, arrangements had been made to declare it null and void.
The locks of the Islamabad High Court were unlocked on Saturday night and the staff of Chief Justice Athar Minallah reached the High Court.
It was informed that the High Court is scheduled to hear an urgent petition in which Adnan Iqbal Advocate as an ordinary citizen challenged in court the 'possible' notification of removal of the Chief of Army Staff by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The urgent petition said that Imran Khan had misused his powers for political and personal purposes and recommended the removal of the Chief of Army Staff, therefore the court should quash the order in the best public interest.
It is important to note here that this request was prepared but left blank in place of the notification number for the removal of the Chief of Army Staff. The reason for this was that despite the request of the Prime Minister, the notification could not be issued and thus it was not the turn of hearing on this petition.
Pakistani embassies from different countries keep their foreign ministry informed through two sources. One is normal letters and the other is secret telegrams.
In the secret telegram, the ambassador analyzes in his own words the thinking of the people of this country and the governmental ranks about Pakistan. In particular, whenever the ambassador meets with a government official of any country, a summary of his views is sent in the form of a secret cable. Of course, this also involves the ambassador's own views and analytical ability. Not only do these cables come regularly from countries like USA, China, India, UK and Afghanistan but they are also given special importance due to the importance of these countries.
As far as I know, these secret telegrams are sent directly to the Foreign Secretary and also to the Army Chief, DG ISI and CGS on the same day. Thus, the secret cable that the government has made the subject of discussion at that time, must have gone to the Army Chief, DG ISI and CGS on the same day and if it really meant any serious threat to Pakistan's security. Not only would they react to this, but they would also demand that the Prime Minister convene a meeting of the Cabinet's National Security Committee.
The Americans also know about Pakistan that if there is a threat or an offer to be made, it is the military leadership and not the foreign minister or the prime minister. For example, when Zalmai Khalilzad used to visit Pakistan every week, it never happened that he did not meet the Army Chief and DG ISI but he met the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister only once. I can say with full claim that it is a lie that Imran Khan refused to meet the CIA chief when he came to Pakistan. The meeting with DG ISI came to light only after he had returned from Pakistan. The implication is that if the United States had to send a serious message, it would have given it directly to the military leadership, not to our ambassador there.
Now we all know that at present the United States is angry or displeased with the Pakistani state. One reason is Afghanistan. The second reason is that the United States wants Pakistan to remain in its camp as in the past, but under General Kayani and Asif Zardari, Pakistan had initiated strategic relations with Russia and China, sending the message that Pakistan is more of a US ally. Will not look During this period not only slogans were raised against the United States but also NATO supplies were cut off, their bases in Balochistan were taken back and supplies were restored when the United States apologized. General Qamar Javed Bajwa is also moving forward with the same policy. Similarly, the United States is not happy with the proximity of C-Pec and China and in the context of China, it has given India the status of its strategic partner.
The situation now is that Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States Asad Majeed Khan had a farewell meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State for South Asia Donald Low on March 7. According to my information, another diplomat was also present with him in this meeting and he has also told his bosses in Pakistan that nothing like what the government is presenting has happened. In this meeting, he may have traditionally complained about Pakistan, since the term Khan administration is used, so he may have mentioned this in this meeting as well. In such meetings usually the political situation of the two countries is also discussed so the political situation of Pakistan may also be discussed and Donald Low may have said that it is difficult to keep pace with the current policies of Imran Khan administration. But if the new government takes some positive steps, it can work with them. Then in such meetings each country repeats its demands and in response the ambassador presents the position of his country. At times, the official even mentions the possible consequences if the demands are not met, and the impression that the government is giving seems to suggest that Donald Low may have mentioned the possible consequences.
Now Asad Majeed Khan has sent the summary and analysis of this meeting to Pakistan and it is clear that he may have gone to the said military officials along with the Foreign Secretary on the same day but we saw that the government did not do this for several days. The United States did not protest, nor did it convene a meeting of the Cabinet's National Security Committee because it was a routine telegram.
For several days, the government did not mention this telegram in any forum, but when a no-confidence motion was raised, Imran Khan resorted to this telegram to bring the opposition to a defensive position and started propaganda that the United States Threatened them on March 7 and in the same telegram it is said that the no-confidence motion is being brought against the United States.
The security establishment and the Americans themselves were shocked by this claim. The White House and State Department denied the allegations. Donald Lowe, who met him, also said in a TV interview that there was no talk of mistrust or intimidation. Other diplomats present in the meeting with Ambassador Asad Majeed have also told the concerned authorities that no such thing has happened.
So for face saving, Imran Khan convened a meeting of the National Security Committee several days later and invited half a dozen unrelated ministers. He gave a briefing to the committee. Then the press release itself issued but the press release does not mention distrust, neither the name of America nor the conspiracy to overthrow the government. Imran and his goblins started propaganda that their claim was also confirmed by the service chiefs. Even more cruel was the fact that on the basis of this telegram, under the guise of Article 5, he withdrew the motion of no-confidence from the Deputy Speaker and then announced the dissolution of the Assembly. It is as if on the basis of this one telegram, he declared to the Deputy Speaker that all the leaders and members of the opposition were unpatriotic.
Now it has become necessary to clarify the reality of this telegram because instead of declaring the opposition as unpatriotic, then instead of voting on no-confidence under its guise, it has violated the constitution, adjourned the meeting and then dissolved the assembly under its guise. The building stands on this telegram. Pakistan has become a joke on the foreign front but it is now necessary to clarify the reality of this telegram.
As far as I understand the drama of American conspiracy is nothing but Imran Khan's conspiracy.
Pakistan military has dismissed BBC Urdu story that COAS Gen. Qamar Bajwa was removed by PM Imran Khan last night but notification couldn't be issued.
"The story is a pack of lies and seems to be the part of an organized propaganda campaign. The BBC Urdu story lacks basic journalistic ethos. The matter is being taken up with BBC" - ISPR statement
Yes, the story of Bajwa's dismissal and the ensuing drama ran by BBC Urdu was nothing more than propaganda by journalists on the payroll of the opposition leaders. The impartial journalists who were actually invited by IK in those "missing" 4 hours reported nothing of this sort.
As for Saleem Safi, I would ignore everything he reports. He is pretty much bought and paid for.
Infact, I apply the same rule here for the mainstream Pakistani media as I do for the global mainstream media. Any narrative that they are selling, is probably the opposite of what actually happened.
This cannot be undone and I am sure it will be greatly appreciated.
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