Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that ongoing efforts to pressure his political party, and topple the government are being funded by foreign powers who are looking to influence the country's foreign policy.
The premier's remarks came during his address at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “historic gathering” at Parade Ground in Islamabad on Sunday as thousands of party workers assembled in the federal capital Islamabad from all over the country to show support to the leader by holding a “million-man” rally ahead of the no-confidence vote.
"Foreign powers have always been interfering in Pakistan’s politics. I want to inform these powers that be that this is not 1971 — the time has changed. "Some of our people are being used without knowing the complete truth, while others are fully involved in this conspiracy, he said.
"When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tried to pursue an independent foreign policy, other political parties ran a campaign against him and created an atmosphere that resembles the one today," said Khan towards the end of his speech.
Mr. Imran has been under pressure due to the opposition’s no-confidence motion, also said there is an external hand in this whole situation.
“I want to firstly thank you all for coming here. People have come to Islamabad from all parts of Pakistan on my call.” Khan said that his government has made efforts to uplift people out of poverty.
“We decreased the price of petrol and diesel despite increases in the international market. We reduced electricity tariff because our tax collection increased.
“I promise you — as we keep increasing our tax collection, we will keep reinvesting it in the people. Poor countries are not poor because they don't have resources. They are poor because their system cannot hold the rich accountable. Their systems give them NRO. All this drama is to see if I give them (the opposition leaders) a NRO. I will never give them the NRO,” he said.
While talking about his team's performance, Khan said he was criticised for not imposing a complete lockdown during the Covid-19 crisis.
“The entire world acknowledged that the steps Pakistan took were commendable because they saved our economy.”
"Pakistan's textile industry is growing. They cannot find labor anymore because of the growth. We have given a new package to small and medium industries. This growth will lead to more tax collection, which I will spend on the people,” he said in the speech.
“Those who have ruled in the past 30 years did nothing to solve Pakistan's most basic problems, like the scarcity of water, which is becoming a major crisis especially in urban areas.”
Mr. Imran said he was willing to have an open dialogue with economic experts to compare the steps taken by his government and those in the past for the advancement of the country.
The premier has been under pressure by the opposition that allegedly say the government has mismanaged the economy and foreign policy, posing the most serious challenge to his leadership since coming to power in 2018.
As pressure mounted, Khan called on his party workers to show their support in the rally in Islamabad. Local police officials put the number of participants at up to 20,000. There was a heavy security presence in the capital, with opposition parties also planning rallies in the city next week.