Pakistan’s prime minister telephoned the top British diplomat in the country
this week expressing fears that the Pakistani army might be about to
stage a coup, a British official and an official in Islamabad said
Friday.
According to a foreign News Agency the call, which one official said
was “panicky”, suggests there was- or perhaps still is- a genuine fear
at the highest level of the Pakistani government that army might carry
out a coup or support possible moves by the Supreme Court to topple the
civilian leadership.
Prime Minister Yousuf Reza Gilani asked High Commissioner Adam
Thomson for Britain to support his embattled government, according to
the officials, who didn’t give their names because of the sensitivity of
the issue. It’s unclear if the British government took any action.
Meanwhile, the Spokesman of the Prime Minister House has strongly
denied the news report circulated by US news agency saying that the
Prime Minister spoke to the British High Commissioner last week seeking
the British help to preempt coup.
The Spokesman said that the Prime Minister has not spoken to the
British High Commissioner in this regard and the story is totally
unfounded. The Spokesman said that the democratic government led by
Prime Minister draws its strength from the people of Pakistan and not
from any foreign power.
While, UK high commissioner’s spokesperson talking to SANA has said
that this story is totally untrue, adding that Prime Minister Gilani has
not contacted to British High Commissioner in Pakistan Adam Thomson. PM
house also has denied the said story, the spokesperson added. SANA
