Daily Times

Minister for Interior Sheikh Rashid Ahmed Thursday said he had suggested Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose governor rule in Sindh, as the provincial government was openly violating the Constitution by indulging in horse-trading. “On February 25, 2009, on the recommendation of the then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the then president Asif Ali Zardari under Article 237 of the Constitution imposed governor rule in Punjab against the government of Shehbaz Sharif. The governor rule has been imposed in Sindh province for three times until now,” Rashid said in a tweet. The minister said horse-trading was being carried out openly exposing the Sindh House. He said there was no other option than imposing governor rule in Sindh because the “Sindh government is openly violating the Constitution through horse-trading”. “Blackmailers and vote-sellers no longer deserve any leniency. Prime Minister Imran Khan will have to impose the governor rule,” he added.

His statement comes after the PTI dissident lawmaker Raja Riaz confirmed that as many as 24 ruling PTI MNAs were staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad due to “security concerns”. He also rejected reports that the federal government was planning to raid the Sindh House. “We are not sending police to the Sindh House as they (dissident PTI lawmakers) went to Sindh House because of their greed for money,” he said, adding that the matter was between the lawmakers and their constituents. He claimed that the PTI MNAs had been “attracted by money”, saying it was a very good thing that they had been “exposed”.

The interior minister said the session of the National Assembly could be called on March 21 while the government had announced holidays in the capital on March 21, 22 and 23 in view of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit.

“After March 25, it will be Sheikh Rashid, the media and Imran Khan’s support. There will be a sea of people on the 27th,” he said referring to the PTI’s planned rally at Islamabad’s D-Chowk.