Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he respected the country's top military leadership's decision of not becoming part of political affairs saying that his government has "excellent ties with army", report agencies.
"Military told me that they wanted to remain neutral and don't want to be a part of political matters," the premier remarked.
Imran Khan also called on his supporters to take to the streets today (Sunday) ahead of a parliamentary no-confidence vote that could see him thrown out of office.
No Pakistan premier has ever completed a full term, and Khan is facing the biggest challenge to his rule since being elected in 2018, with opponents accusing him of economic mismanagement and foreign-policy bungling.
Parliament is due to debate the motion today (Sunday) -- with a vote possibly the same day -- but Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) effectively lost its majority in the 342-member assembly last week when a coalition partner said its seven lawmakers would vote with the opposition.
More than a dozen PTI lawmakers have also indicated they will cross the floor, although party leaders are trying to get the courts to prevent them from voting.
Imran urged the country's youth to take to streets to hold 'peaceful demonstrations' against "foreign conspiracy" being hatched to topple his government.
PM Imran and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) lawmakers decided to attend the proceedings of the no-confidence vote scheduled to be held in the National Assembly session today (Sunday).
It has been reported that PTI members will be present during the session and have their vote counted against the no-trust move in the lower house.
Earlier, PM Imran had formally barred the party's lawmakers from attending the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the opposition's no-confidence motion.
Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa said on Saturday his country sought to expand its relationship with Washington, a day after Islamabad protested to the US embassy over alleged interference in its internal affairs.
Bajwa said Pakistan was deeply concerned over the conflict in Ukraine, adding his country also enjoyed longstanding relations with Russia, but "despite legitimate concerns by Russia, its aggression against the smaller countries can't be condoned."
Imran Khan had said on Friday that Islamabad had given a protest note to the American embassy over what he described as a foreign conspiracy to oust him from power.
"We share a long history of excellent and strategic relationship with the United States, which remains our largest export market," Bajwa told a security conference in Islamabad.
Also highlighting close diplomatic and business relationships with longtime ally China, Bajwa added: "We seek to expand and broaden our ties with both countries without impacting our relations with the other."
Faced with a tight no-confidence vote on Sunday that could see Khan ousted after defections from his ruling coalition, he has been alleging in his campaign to remain in power that a foreign-funded conspiracy was backing his ouster after he visited Moscow in February.
The US embassy in Islamabad did not immediately reply to a request for comment. The White House has denied that the United States had been seeking to remove Khan from power.
Imran Khan met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on the day Russian forces invaded neighbouring Ukraine.
PM Imran claimed that propaganda was being spread to create rifts between military and the public and added that the military rendered innumerable sacrifices for the country.
He also lashed out at Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif over his reported remarks that "beggars cannot be choosers".
"They are slaves who worship money… Shehbaz Sharif is facing corruption charges involving billions of rupees… they can never take independent decisions," he said, adding that all opposition leaders have joined hands against him to protect their "ill-gotten wealth".
PM Imran also said that cases would be registered against those who committing treason against the country by becoming part of the "foreign conspiracy" against his government.
"We are consulting with our lawyers on this matter and by tonight (Saturday) we will make a final decision," he added.
Premier Imran said the public was aware of the "foreign plot" and expressed hope that the masses would never allow this "conspiracy" to succeed. "I will defeat them all [opposition] in assembly tomorrow (Sunday)," he said while referring to vote on no-confidence motion.
"Don't worry we will win tomorrow and the nation will not let them [opposition] to return [to power]," he assured one of the live callers.
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