Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari Friday said Prime Minister Imran Khan was running away from the no-confidence motion.
“What kind of a captain runs away from contest?” he said while talking to the media outside the Parliament building soon after the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the session without taking up the no-trust vote.
He claimed that the NA speaker was a facilitator of Imran Khan and that’s why he avoided taking up the no-confidence motion.
“In the name of tradition, he is trying to protect Imran Khan,” he added. Bilawal said that in June 2012, PPP’s member National Assembly Fauzia Wahab had passed away and a new prime minister had to be elected, but his party fulfilled its constitutional responsibility, says a news report.
The PPP chief also took to Twitter to censure the government’s move.
“The speaker provided another weak excuses to avoid tabling the no-confidence motion in National Assembly today. Imran can’t run forever. PM has no sportsman sprit and cannot face defeat with grace. The once great Kaptaan will go down like a rat on a sinking ship,” he wrote on his official handle.
This government, he said, wanted to spread terror first by attacking the Parliament Lodges and then the Sindh House. The government wanted to run away from the no-confidence motion but the opposition was united and will not let this “selected person” escape.
“How long will the selected be able to avoid the no-confidence? We will use the democratic weapon of no-confidence against this undemocratic person, Imran Khan.”
The PPP chief also felicitated the people of Pakistan who he claimed rejected the “selected”. Imran Khan’s government has ended and soon he will be a former prime minister, he remarked. Responding to a question, Bilawal said that the prime minister and the NA speaker were both undemocratic.
“We are resisting all these undemocratic forces with democracy. Insha Allah, the next prime minister will be an elected prime minister. Neutrality is still continued and our long term struggle has been for this neutrality. This no-confidence is also a part of the same struggle.”
Earlier on arrival at the parliament house, former president and PPP co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, while speaking to the media, hoped that things will be better. He said that if the speaker did not allow tabling the no-confidence motion, then they will protest. He said allies could form a government with the opposition.
Zardari said he was 100% confident that the no-confidence will be successful. Bilawal said, “Everyone knows that victory is ours. We had total members of opposition. We will request for production order of Ali Wazir. The victory and defeat are as per Allah’s will but our preparations are complete. You will see what we do.” Afterwards Zardari and Bilawal attended the joint meeting of opposition members. All the opposition members were in attendance. The members were given important instructions regarding the session.
The PPP chairman also met an independent member National Assembly, Ali Nawaz Shah in the opposition lobby. Shah assured Bilawal of his support on no-confidence motion, according to a party statement.
Speaking on the occasion, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif said, “Asad Qaiser has once again trampled the law and parliament’s tradition under his feet just like any member of the ruling PTI, not as the speaker of the National Assembly.”
He said the NA speaker Qaiser along with Imran Niazi committed the offence under Article 6 of the Constitution.
“The speaker’s role will be remembered as [traitorous]. The speaker did not open my mic and allow me to speak,” Shehbaz complained.
Shehbaz said the last date of calling a session to deliberate on the no-confidence motion was March 22 as the requisition was submitted on March 8.
As the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s session was scheduled from March 22-23, the speaker could have called the session before the OIC moot, he argued.
“Since he did not call the session on the sanctioned time, and supported PM Imran Khan, he has violated Article 6 (which deals with treason),” Shehbaz said.
The opposition leader said the tradition of adjourning the first NA session held after the death of an MNA could had been avoided today after reciting Fateha for the deceased MNA as no-confidence motion was a “crucial” matter.
“Pakistan is at a standstill, the entire nation is looking towards us […] the entire economy is in tatters. The speaker should have allowed voting on the no-confidence motion,” he said.
Shehbaz added that the nation will always remember Qaiser as a person who violated the Constitution.
“We warn the speaker if he makes a move against the constitution on March 28, we will use all legal and political tactics.”
Qaiser has become the “stooge” of PM Imran Khan instead of remaining the speaker.
