PTI supporters hold widescale rallies to protest against 'foreign conspiracy'

Supporters of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) held rallies in various parts of the country on Sunday, protesting against the "foreign conspiracy" they say was behind the no-confidence vote that eventually led to the ouster of Imran Khan.

The protests follow calls made by the former prime minister during an address on the eve of the no-confidence vote, urging the public to hold "peaceful protests on Sunday" against what he called an imported government being installed at the behest of a foreign power that did not agree with his foreign policy.

Reports indicate rallies were held in Karachi, Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Kohat along with several other cities in Pakistan. Video footage was shared by PTI's official Twitter page throughout the day, with accounts in the UK and UAE also sharing glimpses of rallies in London, Sharjah, respectively.

The former premier also took to Twitter, expressing his gratitude at the public support.

"I am grateful to the people of Pakistan for coming out in large numbers to protest against the change of government," he tweeted later at night.

Earlier in the day, Khan, who faced 174 votes in favour of the no-trust motion tabled against him in the National Assembly, tweeted that Sunday marked the beginning of a "freedom struggle" against what he called was a "foreign conspiracy of regime change".

Various leaders of PTI and members of Khan's cabinet shared videos of the rallies, a massive show of public support ahead of another crucial National Assembly session that is set to elect a new leader of the house.

Khan has insisted that it is a Western power that has motivated National Assembly members in Pakistan to bring the no-confidence vote against him, saying that his pursuit of an independent foreign policy for Pakistan has angered a country, which he said was the United States. Washington has denied the allegations.

In Pakistan, however, the opposition has said that it was Khan's mishandling of the economy, which resulted in double-digit inflation that has meant losing trust in his leadership abilities.