ISLAMABAD: With detractors claiming the prime minister is feeling the heat of the no-trust vote, Imran Khan Thursday made an impassioned appeal to his supporters to join the power show his party has arranged for March 27 in Islamabad to express solidarity with the beleaguered premier and show disapproval of the menace of horse-trading.
In a brief video message, the prime minister observed that a posse of politicians, which “looted and plundered” the country for over 30 years, is now deploying its ill-gotten wealth to buy the conscience of the MPs to topple the government.
وزیر اعظم پاکستان عمران خان کا 27 مارچ 2022 کو “امر بالمعروف” کے موضوع پر اسلام آباد میں منعقد ہونے والے جلسہ عام کے حوالے سے اہم پیغام : pic.twitter.com/keXj75FC09
— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) March 24, 2022
This is a crime against democracy and the nation of Pakistan, he declared.
Khan said the Almighty also ordains in Quran to stand with the good and abhor the vice. He said the nation should make it clear to those crossing the floor that the constituents are against this practice, so that no one could dare damage the institution of democracy.
The invitation to join the rally came hours after a tweet from Senator Faisal Javed Khan announcing the prime minister will personally deliver an important message to the nation and invite them to attend the jalsa on Sunday.
OPPOSITION ‘IN FOR A SURPRISE’: PM
On Wednesday, Khan said he would not resign, rejecting opposition calls to step down ahead of the toughest challenge to him since coming to power in August 2018.
The parliament will convene on Friday (tomorrow) to start proceedings into the no-confidence motion, which could take seven days to actually go for voting to decide whether Khan will be removed.
The no-confidence move has risked constitutional, administrative and economic crises amid a pending International Monetary Fund (IMF) review to issue next tranche of a $6 billion rescue package, which was scheduled this week but has yet to happen.
Opposition parties filed the motion earlier this month, insisting Khan has lost his parliamentary majority after a dozen of his party MPs defected, calling on the prime minister to step down.
“I will not resign come what may,” Khan said in a statement from his office issued late Wednesday night. Khan said he would not surrender without a fight and questioned why should he quit under pressure from “crooks”.
Along with the defection of the lawmakers, some of his coalition partners have also suggested they may join the opposition.
