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IMRAN NOMINATES ACTING PM; ACCUSES U.S. DIPLOMAT OF HATCHING CONSPIRACY

Imran Khan named a senior American diplomat, Donald Lu, as the person who was allegedly involved in the ‘foreign conspiracy’ to overthrow his government through a no-confidence vote.

After undergoing a political crisis, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday nominated former Chief Justice, Gulzar Ahmed, as the caretaker Prime Minister of Pakistan. Imran Khan will continue until the acting PM is appointed. As per Pakistan’s Constitution, elections are conducted under a caretaker PM. Meanwhile, Imran Khan named a senior American diplomat, Donald Lu, as the person who was allegedly involved in the “foreign conspiracy” to overthrow his government through a no-confidence vote.

The announcement about the Caretaker PM was made by the Pakistani Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry. He said Imran Khan made this decision after approval from the PTI’s core committee, according to Dawn newspaper.

Gulzar Ahmed’s nomination follows a letter written earlier on Monday by President Dr Arif Alvi to the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to propose names of suitable persons for appointment as caretaker premier under Article 224-A(1 )of the Constitution, the Pakistani newspaper reported.

This comes a day after the National Assembly deputy speaker disallowed a no-trust confidence motion against Imran Khan. Also. President Arif Alvi dissolves National Assembly on Khan’s advice.

Ahmed, who was sworn in as the 27th chief justice of Pakistan on December 21, 2019, was born on February 2, 1957, in Karachi. He has served as the chief justice till February 2022, according to Dawn newspaper.

Earlier on Sunday, speaking at a meeting in Islamabad, Imran Khan claimed that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu was involved in the “foreign conspiracy” to topple his government. Imran Khan claimed that Donald Lu warned the Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed, that there would be implications if the Pakistan PM survived the no-confidence vote. According to Dawn, the Prime Minister said he had reports that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (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 said.

Khan said that the no-trust motion against him was a “conspiracy” and thanked Allah that it failed.

Pakistan’s PM last week had claimed “foreign conspiracy” in the country, saying that a foreign nation is trying to oust him over the “independent” foreign policy choices made by him.

Responding to Imran Khan’s remarks, White House Director of Communications Kate Bedingfield rubbished the allegations regarding Washington’s role in an alleged conspiracy.

“There is absolutely no truth to that allegation,” Bedingfield told reporters.

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