No confidence vote: I play till the last ball, says Pak PM Imran as he refuses to resign during TV address

Amid the no-confidence motion in Pakistan Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation on Thursday.

During the television address, the Pakistan prime minister said: "Why did I come into politics is what I want to tell the people before anything else."

"Jinnah had the stature to come to politics. I thank God as he bestowed everything on me. Today too I don't need anything," the Pakistan prime minister said.

"We were the first generation born in independent Pakistan. We were told since childhood how it was to be born in an independent country," PM Imran said during the address.

"I came into politics because I had studied politics in college," Imran told the nation, adding, "I came into politics 25 years back for three things - justice, that is law is the same for the poor and powerful, Secondly for was humanity and honesty."

"I have seen the highs and lows. I have seen Pakistan at a high when I was in school. People from South Korea and Malaysia use to come to emulate." 

"Then I saw Pakistan's downturn," he said, adding,"I am a Pakistani who has lived in India," he said.

"I opposed Pakistan's participation in America's war on terror," he said.

"When Pakistan engaged in the war on terror with US. In this very room, we were told that if we don't go with US, then they may kill us as well," he said.

"But does that mean that we sacrifice Pakistanis. In 1980s Pakistan became a frontline state for US."

"When I became PM, I decided to make a foreign policy that was independent, it was not anti-US, anti-West and not even anti-India," he said.

"Western country talked about NCM even before it came, they said they had issues with me. They said that if NCM succeeds then relations will be back on track. They said if I remain then our relations will sour more and we would have to face more difficulties," the prime minister said.

"The most disturbing thing in all of this that the people are in contact with the three stooges who are here, what do they(the country) want. They want the stooges to come in," he asked. "These people are convicts," he said.

"When we decided to go to Russia then we had taken everyone onboard, I had even called ambassadors here in this room and we collectively took a decision," he said on his Russian visit recently.

PM Imran also attacked Nawaz Sharif and said there were cases registered against him in the country.

"Why do these (stooges) suit them (West). Because they would not condemn the drone attacks. Even Karzai in Afghanistan used to condemn," he said. 

"I took the cabinet into confidence, I took the national security committee into confidence. I took the document to the parliamentary committee too. In the end, Sunday would be the vote of no confidence," he said.

"I play till the last ball," he said on Sunday's vote. The cricketer-turned-politician said, "I have played cricket. Those who have played with me know I want all those against me to be seen who are doing the deal and voting."

"The coming generation will not forgive you. I will fight against it. I don't have any liability. I will live in my house and the treachery that is  going to happen against the nation this Sunday. Do remember all those faces," he said. 

"This nation will not forgive you. God has given me the strength to fight back."

(With inputs from Agencies)