‘National security top priority’: Those claiming plot, themselves hatching conspiracy, says Marriyum Aurangzeb

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb Saturday said that those claiming a conspiracy against them were, in fact, themselves hatching a conspiracy. 

She told a news conference here that national security was the top priority of the government and the National Security Committee's statement had buried Imran Khan's narrative of conspiracy.

The minister said the NSC clarified that there was no conspiracy. “The people of Pakistan have come to know your true nature,” she told ex-premier Imran Khan. She pointed out that the ambassador had written that a demarche be served, but Imran did not do that. And when the allies left him, he created a conspiracy drama. Marriyum said the security agencies told the NSC that there was no conspiracy.

She told a news conference here that why Imran invited the representative of the country, which was interfering in Pakistan. She asked that why Imran Khan kept the letter hidden for so many days. The narrative of conspiracy had been buried and Imran Khan would be brought to book, she warned.

The minister emphasised that Imran Khan hid his accounts from the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) and now when it was going to announce its judgment in the foreign funding case, he was raising hue and cry and demanding the chief election commissioner's resignation. Marriyum said the Election Commission was to decide the foreign funding case in 30 days, then why the Chief Election Commissioner should resign.

The information minister declared: "You were a liar, you are a liar; you were incompetent and you are incompetent” adding that he was spreading false propaganda of conspiracy, while he robbed people of their everything for four years, and destroyed the economy. He got the telegram on March 8 and kept sleeping on it till March 27.

She noted that the foreign funding case had been going on for eight years and Imran Khan, without declaring his accounts, took money from abroad. The money donated to Shaukat Khanum Hospital was spent on his party by Imran Khan. She added that Imran kept his accounts hidden from the ECP in the foreign funding case while it was the institution to decide the matter.

The minister asked the PTI chairman to stop fooling the people, stop lying. She regretted that he used foreign gifts for personal business. She said cash, flour, sugar and electricity thieves should not give the government lectures. The frontmen did not have posts; Shehzad Akbar was used as frontman in Islamabad and Farah Bibi in Punjab.

Marriyum Aurangzeb said that Imran Khan robbed people of medicines and the coronavirus fund, he also stole the treasury of Pakistan, she alleged.

The minister emphasised that holding sit-ins was the destiny of Imran Khan; the people of Pakistan have rejected him because of his incompetence and lies. She warned that “when you raise one finger at someone's daughter, three fingers would point at you. You have indebted the country to the tune of Rs45,000 billion”.

Referring to his plan to march on Islamabad, she said, “If you come to Islamabad, the question will be asked where the wristwatches of Toshakhana had gone. Bring the answers to billions of rupees of foreign funding to Islamabad”.

She asserted that the names of those who took commission in Punjab would be placed on the ECL. She said that Imran Khan's philosophy was that one should tell so much lies that it start appearing to be truth. She said Imran Khan was talking about three things: there was a conspiracy against him, the United States did it, together with the opposition and by giving money to the media, and after that he was removed from the office of the prime minister. She asserted that a meeting was held on March 7, the letter was received on March 8, and on March 27, he claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched against Pakistan. He staged this drama when his allies left him.

Marriyum said if there was a conspiracy, what he [Imran] did with that telegram from March 8 to March 27. The ambassador had said the US government should be asked if that was the US government policy, but he did not do that. The minister contended, “According to you, the person who was threatening and interfering was called for a presidential address at the US embassy on March 16, then why was this done while he was threatening you.

“Your foreign minister invited the under-secretary of the country which he said was conspiring to intervene and change the government, invited him to Pakistan and met him during the OIC session and tweeted,” she added.

Marriyum said the ambassador, who had written the cipher, said in the National Security Committee that there was no evidence of any conspiracy in it, he gave a briefing and explained in detail that there was no conspiracy.

Marriyum said Imran remained in the government for four years, but he delayed giving voting rights to overseas Pakistanis, which was his incompetence. He said the Election Commission had written more than 28 letters. She contended that if elections were to be held then why he did not dissolve the assembly when he was in the government and why he did not announce the election, so stop these threats and lies.