Contrary to Prime Minister Imran Khan’s allegations, the military leadership informed the National Security Committee (NSC) on March 27 that they had no proof that the US had threatened or was participating in a plot to destabilize the PTI administration.
The high-powered NSC, led by Prime Minister Imran Khan, convened on March 27 to consider the diplomatic cable, which the PTI administration said included proof of a US plan to overthrow Pakistan’s government.
Following the discussion, the NSC released a statement expressing grave concerns about the cable’s non-diplomatic wording, claiming that it amounted to involvement in Pakistan’s domestic affairs. After that, the NSC agreed to launch a demarche to the US.
Following the NSC statement, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri utilized it to delay a vote on the no-trust motion, resulting in a constitutional crisis.
PM Imran said that the NSC had approved the government’s position that the motion of no-confidence was part of a plot to depose him.
According to one source, since the NSC statement was exclusively intended for the media, the prime minister may make public minutes of the meeting. The source said, “Are there any minutes of the NSC meeting?” “Have all of the attendees sign the minutes of the meeting,” the insider said, adding that the minutes of the meeting were only regarded official when all of the NSC participants signed. This shows that the meeting’s minutes were not signed by the military leadership.
According to the source, the US had not submitted any letter to the government, according to the appropriate authorities. It was the Pakistani ambassador’s assessment after his discussion with US authorities.
Another issue that was brought up was the delay in convening the NSC meeting. “Can the government prove any action it took between March and March 27?” said the insider.
According to the source, relevant authorities discovered no proof of a relationship between the no-confidence vote and the diplomatic cable that sparked the current political and constitutional difficulties.
Another indicator that the military leadership was hesitant to support the prime minister’s plot accusations was Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s recent statement.
Despite the prime minister’s bluster, the army commander said that Pakistan has a good and long-term relationship with the US, adding that the US is Pakistan’s top export partner.
General Qamar’s remarks on the Russian-Ukraine issue differed significantly from the PTI government’s position.
Not only did the army commander voice grave fears about the Russian invasion, but he also said categorically that Russian aggression against a smaller country could not be tolerated.
This demonstrates that the military leadership and the PTI administration may not be on the same page on some foreign policy matters.
However, it is puzzling that the military leadership has made no public comment indicating whether or not they support the foreign-funded conspiracy against the prime minister.
Following the turbulent day in Pakistani history on Sunday, the army’s top spokesman said that the force was “absolutely not” involved in the events in the National Assembly.