Pakistan PM Imran Khan names US official who sent 'threat' message

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has revealed that Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu had sent a threatening message to him through Pakistan's envoy Ambassador Asad Majeed.

"US had sent a threatening message through Pakistan's envoy," Dawn quoting Imran Khan reported.

During his remarks that were televised, Imran Khan told them that when the National Security Council (NSC) had condemned the involvement of an external force in no-trust resolution, counting (of votes on the motion) had become "irrelevant".

He said that US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Donald Lu had reportedly in a meeting with Ambassador Asad Majeed warned there could be implications if he survived the opposition's no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.

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.

In an address to the nation last week, Imran Khan had raised a "foreign conspiracy" charge amid the opposition's growing confidence about the no-trust motion against his government.

Imran Khan mentioned "United States" in this context and then immediately changed tack to say "foreign country".

"On March 8 or before that on March 7, the US sent us a...not the US but a foreign country sent us a message. The reason why I talking about this...for an independent country to receive such a message... this is against me and the country," he had said.

The United States has rejected Imran Khan's allegations regarding Washington's role in the alleged "foreign conspiracy" to oust him from power.

Imran Khan is the third Prime Minister to face the no-confidence motion in Pakistan.

However, Pakistan National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on Sunday had dismissed the no-trust motion against the PTI government, terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the country's Constitution.

Moreover, Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on the proposal of Imran Khan.