| Umar says Nawaz involved, PDM leadership not ‘unaware’ of letter | Reveals few civil-military leaders have seen, review the letter content
By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said Tuesday Prime Minister Imran Khan is ready to share the “threat letter” with Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.
In a press conference along with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Umar said only a select few people in the civil-military leadership have seen the letter due to its “sensitivity”.
The planning minister said there was a need to explain the “letter” that the prime minister had read out in the March 27 rally, but it could not be shown publicly due to its “sensitive nature”.
Umar noted that after the masses questioned the credibility of the letter, the prime minister deliberated over sharing the letter with someone, and he thought that it would be right to share it with the CJP — as he is a credible person.
“…he holds a high office […] and the chief justice himself is a well-respected man,” the federal minister said, noting that it would be shared with the CJP when the need might arise.
“I have seen this letter myself and a few members of the federal cabinet have seen it as there are laws that dictate sharing such sensitive documents,” he said.
The prime minister had Sunday revealed that “foreign elements” are involved in the attempts to topple his government and said, “some of our own people” are being used in this regard.
The premier, while flashing a letter before the public during PTI’s rally in Islamabad, said that he has “written evidence” that “money has been pouring in from abroad,” while “some of our people are being used to topple the government.”
The Opposition, however, has turned down the narrative that a foreign conspiracy plot is being hatched to oust the government and berated PM Imran Khan for shifting blame for his “incompetence”.
Addressing a charged PDM rally in Islamabad yesterday, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz had said no foreign powers were working against the incumbent government as the prime minister himself was the “biggest threat” to the country.
The prime minister is also embattled as he is fighting a no-confidence motion that was tabled against him in by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif in the lower house.
What is in the letter?
Sharing the details of the letter, Umar said it was “noteworthy” that the letter was dated even before the Opposositon had submitted the no-confidence motion in the NA secretariat.
“…it is important as this letter clearly mentioned the no-confidence motion. It was also written that if the no-confidence motion fails and the prime minister remains in power, it can have severe consequences,” he said, referring to the threat PM Imran Khan mentioned in the rally.
The letter also mentions Pakistan’s foreign policy, Umar said, without elaborating what it says.
“No-confidence motion and foreign hand are interlinked, these are not two separate things,” the federal minister said.
Who are the people involved?
Umar said without a doubt, former prime minister and PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif is involved in the “conspiracy” against PM Imran Khan.
“When the prime minister wants, he will reveal more details about Nawaz’s activities, and it has already been reported in the media whom the PML-N leader has met in the recent days,” Umar said.
The PML-N supremo is in London and he has met officials from the “intelligence agencies of other countries”.
Chaudhry said this was one of the reasons why he was against sending Nawaz abroad as people like him become “stooges of international establishment”.
“He met Israel’s ambassador as well,” Chaudhry said.
The federal minister said the Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) leadership is not “unaware” of the letter. They have repeatedly mentioned “that matters have settled”, Umar said, without going into further details.
The federal minister said several lawmakers — from the Opposition and the government — might rethink their position and side with PM Imran Khan during the voting on the no-confidence motion after this development.
Message for lawmakers
“Until now, they were unaware, but now, they have been informed about the letter. So, it is up to them to decide whether they will side with forces working against Pakistan or not,” he added.
Chaudhry said this is “not a new thing” as earlier ex-prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan was assassinated, former premier Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was prosecuted, and former military ruler Gen Zia-ul-Haq lost his life in a plane crash.
The information minister said that the decisions taken in past were part of Pakistan’s history. “But now, Pakistan has a leader who is not attending foreign phone calls and is connected with the people.”
‘So-called seniors’
Lashing out at YouTubers, he said: “Some so-called seniors have started vlogging, whose programmes do not get ratings, and have started sharing the letter of the Europen Union.”
Chaudhry said the letter of the Europen Union was already public, adding that the media “does not have the letter”.
“Please learn how to verify news from young reporters,” he added.
