Will call early elections if I win no-confidence motion: PM Imran

Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that he will announce early elections in the country if he wins the no-confidence motion.

Khan is facing a no-confidence resolution in the National Assembly, where voting is likely to happen on Sunday.

“Early elections is a good idea and will be good for the country,” said the premier during an interview with a private television channel on Friday.

To another question, PM Imran said he wants a foreign policy that is aimed at protecting the rights of the people of Pakistan and enhancing respect for its passport.

“Pakistan's foreign policy should be based on having cordial relations with all the countries, including Russia, China, the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, and the Middle East.

“My policy was very clear: we will be a partner in peace and not in conflict.”

‘Powerful’ country angry with Pakistan over Russia, but supporting India: PM

Quoting India’s example for pursuing an independent foreign policy and remaining non-aligned to any bloc, he said New Delhi reaps the benefits of this policy from all sides.

Khan said former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto pursued an independent foreign policy, but unfortunately, some internal elements in collaboration with international forces hatched a conspiracy against him.

He revealed he has serious threats to his life, but will not back down from his stance.

Protest over “US interference” conveyed

Khan also said his government handed an official protest to the U.S. embassy on Friday over what it called Washington's interference in the country's affairs.

“We now have given a demarche to (the) American embassy,” Khan said, referring to a diplomatic note over what he described as a foreign conspiracy to oust him from power.

Khan had earlier said that a foreign country was conspiring against him after he visited Moscow in February when he met Russian President Vladimir Putin on the day Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine.

Speaking on Thursday in a nationally televised address, Khan said a Western country had been unhappy about his Moscow visit. He mentioned the United States before smilingly correcting it to "a foreign country".

But on Friday evening, Khan named the United States, in his interview with ARY News TV.

The White House denied that the United States had been seeking to remove Khan from power.

The U.S. embassy in Islamabad did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Ruling party members in Pakistan also led a protest against the United States in the northwestern city of Peshawar on Friday.

Khan has said his government possessed an "official document" that was evidence of the conspiracy. The document was later described by the government as formal communication of a "senior official of a foreign country to Pakistan's Ambassador in the said country in a formal meeting".