As Pakistan parliament is set to hold a tough no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday, a top official has revealed that a plot was hatched to kill the cricketer-turned-politician.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said the conspiracy had been reported by security agencies, reports Dawn.
"After these reports, the prime minister's security has been beefed up as per the government's decision," he said.
The statement came just a day after Imran Khan accused the United States of meddling in Pakistan's politics as a debate on the no-confidence motion was postponed.
However, Washington immediately rejected his allegation.
No Pakistan premier has ever seen out 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.
The government is also battling to contain a rise in militancy by the Pakistan Taliban, which on Wednesday announced an offensive against security forces during Ramadan, due to begin within days with the sighting of the next new moon.
Earlier this week, Imran’s party colleague Faisal Vawda, too, claimed that a conspiracy was being hatched to assassinate the prime minister over his refusal to "sell the country".
Vawda had made the remarks on ARY News show "Off the Record" in response to a question about a letter PM Imran brandished at the PTI's March 27 power show in Islamabad, claiming it contained "evidence" of a "foreign conspiracy" to topple his government.
There was a threat to the prime minister's life but remained evasive when asked whether the purported conspiracy to assassinate the premier was mentioned in the letter, Vawda said.
He also said that the prime minister was told multiple times that bulletproof glass needed to be installed before his dais at the March 27 rally. "But as always and as usual, he said my [death] will come when Allah wills. Don't worry about it," Vawda quoted him as saying.
Earlier on Thursday, opposition parties called on him to resign ahead of the parliamentary vote.
Hours later, Khan in a televised address rejected the call and said the move to oust him was a "foreign conspiracy" backed by a Western country that was unhappy with his visit to Moscow to meet Putin in late February.
Khan did not openly name the alleged conspiring country. He mentioned the United States before smilingly correcting it to "a foreign country".
He said his government possessed an "official document" that was evidence of the conspiracy.
Political analysts said Khan enjoyed the support of the military when he won an election to become prime minister in 2018 but he later lost the generals' favour over various wrangles.
Khan has denied ever having the backing of the military, and the military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half its history, denies involvement in civilian politics.
Debate on the no-confidence motion was due to start Thursday, but the deputy speaker -- from Khan's party -- suspended proceedings when legislators declined to first address other items on the agenda.
Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) effectively lost its majority in the 342-member National Assembly Wednesday 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.
