Imran says he had reports that dissidents frequented US embassy

Islamabad, April 4: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shared more details about the threat he said he had been facing since early last month. After the house was prorogued on Sunday, a number of PTI leaders rushed to the Prime Minister's Office and felicitated Khan on the "success of his surprise move", Dawn reported.

In remarks that were televised, he told them that when the National Security Council (NSC) had condemned the involvement of an external force in no-trust resolution, counting (of votes on the motion) had become "irrelevant". Khan revealed that the US had sent a threatening message through Pakistan's envoy.

He was quoted as saying that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu had reportedly in a meeting with Ambassador Asad Majeed warned there could be implications if he survived the opposition's no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, Dawn reported.

The premier said he had reports that PTI dissidents had frequented the (US) embassy. "What were the reasons that the people, who have left us, met people of the embassy frequently in the last few days?" he wondered. He termed the Deputy Speaker's ruling as "shocking" to the opposition.

In fact, Khan said the opposition was unable to understand what had happened. If he had told them (opposition) about his surprise a day earlier, they would not have been shocked this much, he added.