Daily Times

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Sunday backtracked on his accusation made against the PML-Q a day earlier, saying his remarks were ‘general’ and not aimed at any particular party. Addressing a press conference on Saturday, the minister had accused the PML-Q of blackmailing the government for the Punjab chief minister’s position in return for support during the opposition’s no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan. In response, Moonis Elahi hit back and counter alleged that Rashid used to “take money from the party’s elders during his student life”.

The interior minister, while speaking at an event organized by the Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce and Industries in the capital earlier in the day, denied criticizing the PML-Q in particular and admitted that the party had done him favours. “I neither named the Q league nor the Chaudhrys … I only said it in general,” Rashid said, says a news report.

“The problem is that when I say something … even if it goes against me, it [gets airtime] the full 24 hours.

“Chaudhry Shujaat is my brother. God bless him with health … I will never speak against him.”

Rashid did, however, say that the true test of a friend comes during trying times.

Rashid said NA Speaker Asad Qaiser would call a session of the lower house on the joint opposition’s no-confidence resolution against the premier after March 15. “The speaker has to decide when to call the session. He will decide after the 15th [since] there is the OIC conference on the 21st and 22nd [of March],” Rashid said. Responding to a question, he elaborated that it was the speaker’s job and power to call an NA session and his decision couldn’t be challenged in any court. “Whatever decision the speaker takes will be a legal and constitutional one,” Rashid added.

The interior minister said the opposition had the complete right to make a no-trust move, however, he cautioned that the country should not be forced towards “anarchy”.

Separately, the interior minister warned again against any militia marching into Islamabad and said anyone attempting to do so would be ‘trampled’.

His remarks were in the context of the recent operation carried out against JUI-F’s Ansarul Islam force ast the Parliament Lodges.

APP adds: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Sunday said Rangers and FC had been called out for seven days adding that the army could also be deployed under Article 245 of the Constitution if needed.

Talking to the media persons at Women Business Forum organized by Islamabad Women Chamber of Commerce in Islamabad, the minister hoped that there would be no need to deploy Army as the Rangers and FC had already been summoned.

He said the government would not allow any militia to take law into its own hands. Currently, no member of Ansarul Islam is arrested, he said, adding that if anyone dared to take the law into their own hands, they would be dealt with an iron hand. He said the Speaker National Assembly would decide about the summoning of session. The decision of the speaker could not be challenged in the court of law, he added.