Pakistan: Imran Khan calls for protests as National Assembly takes up no-trust motion

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has given a call to his supporters — particularly young people — to come out and 'protest peacefully' against what he called an “international conspiracy hatched by the US” to oust him from power, on the eve of voting on a no-confidence resolution, moved against him by the opposition in the National Assembly, Dawn reported on Sunday.

According to reports Imran Khan has also changed his mind about his party's strategy for the all-important sitting of parliament and announced that he would be present during the debate on the no-confidence resolution.

He also directed Pak­is­tan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers to participate in Sunday's proceedings and mount a vociferous defence of their prime minister, after withdrawing the letter earlier sent to them asking them to not participate in Sunday's sitting.

Imran Khan gave the call for the protest during a live question-and-answer session with the public on television, during which he said he had “more than one plan” for Sunday's crucial vote and claimed that he would spring a surprise on the entire nation.

There were reports that ahead of Sunday's sitting, the government had come up with a strategy to physically prevent opposition members and nearly two dozen PTI dissidents who were presently staying at Sindh House and the nearby Marriott Hotel — from reaching Parliament House through their protests. (UNI)