'Foreign conspiracy': Asad Umar demands formation of judicial commission

ISLAMABAD: Former Planning Minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar has demanded the formation of judicial commission to probe the ‘foreign conspiracy’ behind the ouster of former prime minister Imran Khan, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

Speaking during ARY News programme ‘Off The Record’, the former federal minister said that the solution to the cipher issue can only be found through investigation, not politically.

“Instead of making statements, the issue should be referred to Supreme Court of Pakistan,” he said, demanding the formation of judicial commission to probe the ‘foreign conspiracy’.

“We want to investigate why people – who have left us – met Americans”, the PTI leader said, adding that all details of the meeting held abroad and in Pakistan were available.  “Why the government is reluctant to investigate the matter,” he added.

Asad Umar noted that he was a part of that first National Security Committee (NSC) meeting and while the diplomatic letter was being read out, a military representative had called for facts and opinions to be viewed separately.

Elaborating on those “facts”, the PTI leader said it was a “clear threat” that if the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan failed then the country would face isolation and difficulties.

However, he acknowledged that the (Director-General) Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) was right that some military officials, including some civilians, did not see the evidence of a conspiracy.

“It is the job of the elected government to address the issue, not the institution”, Asad Umar added. He pointed out that the then-Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to form Judicial Commission to investigate the matter, but a few days later, the government was ousted.

Mentioning the efforts made by the PTI in pursuing the formation of a judicial commission for the cipher, Umar requested the Supreme Court to oblige and added that Imran had decided to again write to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial to urge him to oversee the matters.