Pakistan PM Khan protests to U.S. about alleged interference

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan speaks throughout an interview with Reuters in Islamabad, Pakistan June 4, 2021. REUTERS/Saiyna Bashir/File Photograph

ISLAMABAD, April 1 (Reuters) – Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan mentioned his authorities handed an official protest to the U.S. embassy on Friday over what it referred to as Washington’s interference within the nation’s affairs.

“We now have given a demarche to (the) American embassy,” Khan advised native tv channel ARY in an interview, referring to a diplomatic notice over what he described as a overseas conspiracy to oust him from energy.

Confronted with a decent no-confidence vote on Sunday that would see him ousted after defections from his ruling coalition, Khan had mentioned on Thursday {that a} overseas nation was conspiring towards him after he visited Moscow in February. learn extra

Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on the day Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine.

Talking on Thursday in a nationally televised tackle, Khan mentioned a Western nation had been sad about his Moscow go to. He talked about america earlier than smilingly correcting it to “a overseas nation.” However on Friday Khan named america, in his interview with ARY Information TV.

The White Home denied that america had been searching for to take away Khan from energy.

The U.S. embassy in Islamabad didn’t instantly reply to a request for remark.

Ruling get together members in Pakistan led a protest towards america within the northwestern metropolis of Peshawar on Friday.

In an uncommon transfer, dozens of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ruling get together figures, led by a provincial minister, rallied within the centre of Peshawar, chanting, “Down with America!”

“Now we have come out to assist Imran Khan who has challenged the capitalist forces,” the minister, Taimur Jhagra, advised the rally.

“We are going to want starvation over a give up to the U.S.,” mentioned one other provincial lawmaker within the rally, Fazal Elahi.

A handful of activists from an anti-America Shi’ite group additionally reacted to Khan’s claims, holding a rally in Islamabad the place they burned American flags.

Practically 500 protesters led by a ruling get together MP rallied within the southern port metropolis of Karachi and chanted anti-American slogans.

Khan has mentioned that his authorities possessed an “official doc” that was proof of the conspiracy. The doc was later described by the federal government as a proper communication of a “senior official of a overseas nation to Pakistan’s Ambassador within the mentioned nation in a proper assembly”.

Reprting by Asif Shahzad in Islamabad and Jibran Ahmad in Peshawar; Modifying by William Maclean and Mark Porter

Our Requirements: The Thomson Reuters Belief Ideas.