Supreme Court rejects Imran Khan's claims of regime change conspiracy

Islamabad: Pakistan's Supreme Court has rejected the claims of regime change conspiracy as propagated by ousted prime minister Imran Khan to gain political mileage.

Khan was removed through a no-confidence motion on April 10 but he refused to accept the decision by the Parliament and accused the United States for orchestrating the change of his government with the help of local collaborators.

The apex court in a detailed judgment on Thursday about a case related to the no-confidence motion by then deputy speaker Qasim Suri on April 3 wrote that it could not find evidence to back the claim about the regime change.

Suri had rejected the motion on the ground that it was an effort to change the government with foreign help. The court in its order had declared the ruling by Suri as illegal and ordered a vote on the motion.

In its detailed judgment, the court did not support the claim by Khan and his supporters that the government was changed with foreign intervention. Among other things, the court held that the allegations were vague and not backed by evidence.

“No observation was made to the effect that the Resolution of No confidence (RNC) was moved by the opposition parties or by persons in Pakistan in conspiracy with a foreign state; and no inquiry/investigation was ordered into the matter to ascertain the nature or extent of involvement of any person in Pakistan to seek or receive the support of a foreign state to move the RNC,” the court observed in the judgment.

It also asked why the then Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party-led government failed to hold a probe when it was in power.

The detailed judgment was authored by chief justice Umer Atta Bandial and Justice Miankhel and Justice Mandokhail made separate observations. But all judges agree that Suri acted in violation of the rule of law.