ISLAMABAD: The findings of a recent survey by Gallup show nearly 68 percent of Pakistanis supported Prime Minister Imran Khan’s decision to dissolved the National Assembly and call for snap polls, while a majority did not believe there was a foreign conspiracy to topple Khan.
Last Sunday, Khan dissolved the National Assembly after a no-confidence motion seeking his removal was dismissed by the deputy speaker, a Khan ally, triggering a political and constitutional crisis in a country.
Gallup asked respondents in a survey if they supported the PM’s move to dissolve the National Assembly and call fresh elections.
“To this question a wide majority 68 percent say they support and 32 percent say they oppose PM Imran Khan’s move,” Gallup Pakistan’s Survey said on Wednesday.
The survey results added:
“Majority don’t believe in US Conspiracy to remove Imran Khan, although split exists along party lines. Significant majority 64 percent responded to this question and say that Imran Khan was being ousted because of inflation and not because of a foreign conspiracy.”
On anti-Americanism sentiment, the survey said almost 2 in 3 Pakistanis (72 percent) thought the US was an enemy of Pakistan: “Anti-Americanism was highest among PTI [Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf] Supporters (80 percent thought America was an enemy) and lowest among PML-N [Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz] voters (65 percent).”
Khan has repeatedly said that Donald Lu, a top US official dealing with South Asia in the US State Department, was involved in the alleged conspiracy to topple his government. Washington has denied the allegation.
Majority of Pakistanis don’t believe in US conspiracy against PM Khan – Gallup
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Majority of Pakistanis don’t believe in US conspiracy against PM Khan – Gallup
- 64% believe opposition wanted to oust PM Khan over inflation
- Anti-Americanism sentiment highest among Khan’s supporters
Pakistan military says 12 militants killed in counter-terror operations in southwest
- Pakistan military says “Indian-sponsored terrorists” were killed in southwestern Kalat district on Dec. 6
- Development takes place day after military said it gunned down five militants in Balochistan’s Dera Bugti area
ISLAMABAD: Pakistani security forces killed 12 “Indian-sponsored terrorists” in the southwestern Balochistan province, the military’s media wing said on Sunday, vowing to purge “terrorism” from the country.
The security operation was carried out in Balochistan’s Kalat district on Dec. 6, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military’s media wing, said in a statement. It said the militants belonged to Indian proxy “Fitna al Hindustan.”
The military uses this term to describe ethnic Baloch militant groups who demand independence from Pakistan. Islamabad accuses New Delhi of arming and funding these separatist groups, charges India has always denied.
“Weapons, ammunition and explosives were also recovered from the terrorists, who remained actively involved in numerous terrorist activities in the area,” the ISPR said.
The military said that it was carrying out sanitization operations in the area to eliminate other “terrorists,” vowing it will continue with its relentless counter-terror campaign to purge militancy.
The development took place a day after the Pakistan military said it had gunned down 14 militants in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and Balochistan provinces.
Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest province by since yet its most backward by almost all social and economic indicators, has suffered from a bloody separatist insurgency for decades.
The most ethnic Baloch militant group that has mounted attacks against law enforcement and civilians in the area is the Balochistan Liberation Army.
These militant outfits accuse the military and federal government of denying the local Baloch population a share in the province’s mineral wealth, charges Islamabad denies.
