ISLAMABAD: With the formal submission of the no trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, both sides have accelerated their efforts to ensure maximum votes to win in the numbers’ game.
While, the ruling PTI also stepped up efforts to foil opposition’s no-trust vote move against PM Imran.
A meeting of ruling PTI leaders was held here with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser in the chair. The ruling party members discussed the opposition’s no-confidence motion and overall political situation of the country.
The meeting was attended by Sindh Governor Imran Ismail, federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry, Murad Saeed, minister of state Farrukh Habib, Senators Faisal Javed and Dr Shehzad Wasim among others. Later, a meeting was held at the PM’s House to review the situation.
According to a statement issued by the ruling party, PTI and its allies were united to defeat opposition’s no-trust motion and MNAs will be approached for their support in this regard.
On the other hand, after submitting the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in National Assembly Secretariat, major opposition leaders including PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PPP leader Asif Ali Zardari addressed the media on Tuesday.
“This government has inflicted unprecedented damage on country’s economy during its almost four years in power,” said Shehbaz at the start of the joint presser while explaining the reason as to why opposition submitted the no-confidence motion against PM Imran.
“Inflation has touched historic highs… the lives of masses have been made miserable by ‘selected’ prime minister.”
He also lashed out at the premier for publicly criticising the EU envoys at his recent address. “We have a huge trade balance with EU and America and premier’s address could damage it.”
The PML-N president also rubbished the premier’s allegations that opposition’s attempt to topple his government was part of the “international conspiracy”. “I don’t think there could be a more stupid and illogical allegation than this,” he said.
Speaking on the occasion, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, who also heads the anti-government opposition alliance PDM, said, “He [PM Imran] tried to promote western agenda in Pakistan through NGOs… I had said earlier that he [Imran Khan] was agent of some foreign elements”.
“We rejected the results of 2018 elections and termed them rigged… we did not compromise on our stance that the nation’s mandate was stolen.”
The JUI-F chief said their movement against the “selected rulers” has vindicated their stance regarding the rigged elections.
He also agreed with Shehbaz’s view that the incumbent government has destroyed the country’s economy, saying that “this is the reason that no foreign investor is willing to invest in Pakistan”.
“We are confident that this no-confidence motion will succeed and nation will soon get rid of these rulers.”
Speaking on the occasion, former president Asif Ali Zardari said all opposition parties had agreed that no single party alone could steer the country out of the “crisis”.
Responding to a question, he said he is confident that opposition parties have garnered support of more than 172 MNAs required to remove the premier.
“Not only opposition but ruling PTI lawmakers are also fed up with their government because they have to contest elections and go back to their constituencies,” he added.
While citing an example, Zardari said in the past despite lacking establishment’s support PPP foiled the no-trust move against its government. However, [then] president Farooq Leghari later dissolved the assemblies but we also curtailed the powers of the president,” he said while referring to the Article 58-2(b).
Reacting to the development, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari wrote “democracy is the best revenge” on his official Twitter handle.
PTI leaders and federal ministers have vowed to thwart opposition’s attempt to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan through no-confidence motion, which was submitted in the National Assembly Secretariat on Tuesday.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that filing no-trust motion was opposition parties’ constitutional right but added that the ruling party along with its coalition partners will defeat the opponents in the “political battle”.
“Imran Khan is an elected prime minister who came into power through a huge public mandate in 2018 elections,” he maintained.
FM Qureshi said he discussed the matter of no-confidence vote with the premier and it had been decided that the ruling party will make all-out efforts to foil the opposition’s move.
Qureshi said he briefed the premier on opposition’s “ulterior motives” behind the no-trust move and claimed that he had “some information” regarding opposition’s movement which he said he would make public “very soon”.
He also maintained that PTI allies including MQM-P, PML-Q and BAP will not support the opposition in the National Assembly, adding that the timing of presenting such a motion was “inappropriate”.
“Opposition parties are fighting for their survival. Prime Minister Imran Khan cannot be pressured through such moves,” the statement quoted him as saying.
In a tweet, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that PM Imran Khan “is the only political leader of the country”.
“Let all political ‘dwarfs’ make joint efforts… but they are doomed to fail,” he added.
PM’s aide on political communication Shehbaz Gill “welcomed” the opposition’s move to submit no-confidence motion in the lower house of parliament.
“[PM] Imran Khan’s message to his nation is that he will fight… [and] will never give NRO to these thieves. Khan is ready to compete and will defeat them [opposition]… the whole nation stands with Khan,” he wrote on his official Twitter handle.
