Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Thursday said Prime Minister Imran Khan has lost the confidence of the National Assembly and has been rejected by his own MNAs and allies.
While addressing a press conference in Islamabad along with former prime ministers Yousaf Raza Gilani and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Bilawal said decision of seeking a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan would be taken with the consensus of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and at a time of the alliance’s choosing. “We believe we have to save Punjab first,” he said. “But all the decisions would be taken by the leadership of PDM with consensus,” he added.
The PPP leader said the prime minister seeking a vote of confidence in an effort to ‘save face’. “This is all a drama. This puppet show will soon end,” he said. “He has lost the confidence of the National Assembly and has been rejected by his own MNAs and allies. You must submit your resignation.”
He said that now PDM will call the shots, not Imran Khan, who has lost confidence of his own members. “You will not be able to escape. We will not give you an NRO. And we will not spare you,” he said.
Bilawal went on to say that the ‘incompetent, illegal government’ only brought pain and suffering to the people of Pakistan and claimed that “every citizen of the country celebrated the victory of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)” after Gillani defeated PTI’s Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the Senate elections. “The people of Pakistan celebrated the defeat of this puppet government.”
He said that Imran Khan had promised to dissolve the assembly if he lost the Islamabad Senate seat but now that it’s time to take the decision, the premier is scared. “He’s afraid of elections,” Bilawal claimed. “After backtracking from the statement of dissolving the assembly, he is now creating a new drama by seeking a vote of confidence from the parliament,” he said. “You will not be making decisions anymore,” Bilawal said to PM Khan. “I will tell you when and where will the no-confidence motion take place.”
The PPP chairman said that the opposition will carry on its fight against the incumbent government and will continue to expose its wrongdoing, adding that “no one would be able to save the PTI-led government now. He also claimed that he knows each and every MNA as well as the votes that were cast against him. “I know which MNAs voted against the government because their conscience told them to do so,” Bilawal said. “I also know who voted against the government out of spite for Imran Khan and Hafeez Sheikh.”
Bilawal Bhutto also said that the PDM will take its fight to the election of the Senate chairman, adding that the opposition will “not spare PM Khan.” He added that he had a chance to hold a discussion with the leaders of all parties a night before and said that everyone has mutually decided to continue their fight against the government. “We will fight together and will give a tough time to the government. I have said this time and again that all decisions taken by the PDM are through mutual consensus.”