Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that ongoing efforts to pressure his political party, and topple the government are being funded by foreign powers who are looking to influence the country's foreign policy.
The premier's remarks came during his address at Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) “historic gathering” at Parade Ground in Islamabad on Sunday as thousands of party workers assembled in the federal capital from all over the country to show support to the leader by holding a “million-man” rally ahead of the no-confidence vote.
"When Zulfikar Ali Bhutto tried to pursue an independent foreign policy, other political parties ran a campaign against him and created an atmosphere that resembles the one today," said Khan towards the end of his speech.
"Foreign powers have always been interfering in Pakistan’s politics. I want to inform these powers that be that this is not 1971 — the time has changed.
"Some of our people are being used without knowing the complete truth, while others are fully involved in this conspiracy."
His speech follows that of other PTI leaders who took turns to speak to the crowd gathered at the rally.
“Pakistan was formed based on the idea of an Islamic welfare state,” the premier had said earlier as he began his address.
“People ask me why I talk about religion in my speeches. They ask me why I use religion for politics. When I made my party 25 years ago, I came to politics so that we can establish an Islamic welfare state.”
Khan, who has been under pressure due to the opposition’s no-confidence motion, also said there is an external hand in this whole situation.
“I want to firstly thank you all for coming here. People have come to Islamabad from all parts of Pakistan on my call.”
Khan said that his government has made efforts to uplift people out of poverty, claiming that no other government in the past has invested so much to uplift the poor segments.
“We decreased the price of petrol and diesel despite increases in the international market. We reduced electricity tariff because our tax collection increased.
“I promise you — as we keep increasing our tax collection, we will keep reinvesting it in the people.
"Poor countries are not poor because they don't have resources. They are poor because their system cannot hold the rich accountable. Their systems give them NRO.
"All this drama is to see if I give them (the opposition leaders) a NRO. I will never give them the NRO.
Talking about his team's performance, Khan said: "I was criticised for not imposing a complete lockdown during the Covid-19 crisis. The entire world acknowledged that the steps Pakistan took were commendable because they saved our economy.
"Pakistan's textile industry is growing. They cannot find labor anymore because of the growth. We have given a new package to small and medium industries. This growth will lead to more tax collection, which I will spend on the people.
"The government invested record money in its agriculture sector. As a result, the country produced bumper crops in wheat, rice, sugar, and potato."
He said that the PTI government’s reforms have also created new jobs in garments, textile, and construction industries that have led to an economic boom.
The PM added that those who have ruled in the past 30 years did nothing to solve Pakistan's most basic problems, like the scarcity of water, which is becoming a major crisis especially in urban areas.
Speaking of his party's achievements, he said the PTI government started nine new small and large dams, some of which will be completed by 2025, and will help store enough water for cheap electricity, agriculture, and daily use. He also said the Diamer-Bhasha Dam will be completed in 2028, and will double the country's water level.
PM Imran said he was willing to have an open dialogue with economic experts to compare the steps taken by his government and those in the past for the advancement of the country.
"My team led negotiations for three years to revive the Reko Diq project. I want to congratulate you that the same company is again investing billions of dollars in Pakistan in the same project."
As his speech ended, the PM took to Twitter to thank the participants.
The premier has been under pressure by the opposition that says the government has mismanaged the economy and foreign policy, posing the most serious challenge to his leadership since coming to power in 2018.
As pressure mounted, Khan called on his party workers to show their support in the rally in Islamabad. Local police officials put the number of participants at up to 20,000.
There was a heavy security presence in the capital, with opposition parties also planning rallies in the city next week.