Ex-Pak Army officer refuses to head commission to probe ‘foreign conspiracy plot’ to overthrow PM Khan govt

Islamabad, Apr 9 (PTI) A former senior Pakistan Army officer has refused to head a commission formed by the federal Cabinet to probe the alleged “foreign conspiracy plot” to overthrow the Imran Khan-led government and dig out the facts about the so-called “threat letter” sent from the US, according to media reports.

On the basis of the letter and the alleged conspiracy plot, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had dismissed the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan on April 3. The deputy speaker’s ruling was struck down by the Supreme Court on Thursday. On Saturday, Pakistan’s Parliament started its crucial session to take up the no-confidence resolution against the defiant prime minister.

On Friday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the Cabinet had formed a commission headed by Lt-Gen (retd) Tariq Khan with powers to constitute further investigation teams to determine whether the threat of regime change mentioned in the ‘threat letter’ existed or not, the Express Tribune reported. The letter, which was first disclosed by Prime Minister Khan in a public rally in Islamabad on March 27, is at the centre of the recent political turmoil in Pakistan. Khan claimed the letter contained a threat to the government from the US.

According to reports in Express Tribune and Geo News on Friday, Lt-Gen (retd) Khan has refused to head the commission and has conveyed his decision to the government. The reports, however, did not mention any reason for his recusal. The commission was to present its report within 90 days after it investigates how many dissident MPs were in contact with foreign powers. “We have evidence of eight dissident provincial assembly members being in contact with foreign dignitaries. The commission will look at a connection between local handlers and regime change,” Chaudhry had told reporters. He said that the parliamentarians would be briefed regarding the details of the threat letter before the voting on the no-confidence motion on Saturday.

“Once the selected contents of the letter will be made public, it will be up to the parliamentarians to make a decision in accordance with their conscience while voting,” Chaudhry was quoted as saying in the Geo News report. Meanwhile, the Foreign Office has conveyed its reservations over the government’s move to present contents of the letter before Parliament, warning that such a move would not only undermine working of the missions abroad, but also “damage our national interests”, the Express Tribune reported.

“You can’t imagine what the reaction within the Foreign Office is. There is distress. There is literally a revolt,” the report quoted a senior officer as saying while requesting anonymity. The foreign ministry, as an institution, has never been dragged into domestic political affairs. The damage has already been done, the official said.

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