Daily Times

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman and Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday directed his party’s Members of the National Assembly to abstain from the voting on no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against him.

The prime minister, also the parliamentary leader of the PTI in the National Assembly wrote a letter to the PTI legislators asking them to strictly follow the directions as “every/any violation of these directions shall be treated as express defection in terms of Article 63-A.” Signed by the prime minister and also shared by PTI on its official Twitter handle, the letter mentioned that on March 28, leave was granted to move the resolution in terms of Rule 37 (4) of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007.

The PTI chairman told the legislators that the said resolution would be voted upon within a period of seven days. “All the members of the Parliamentary Party of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the National Assembly of Pakistan shall abstain from voting/not attend the meeting of the National Assembly on the date when the said resolution is set out on the agenda of the National Assembly for voting,” he said He directed that no PTI member would attend or make them available at the time and day of voting on the resolution of no-confidence.

The duly designated parliamentary members would speak on behalf of the PTI during the course of debate on this motion. “All members are required to adhere to these directions in true letter & spirit and keep in mind the intent behind the provision of Article 63-A of Constitution of Pakistan, 1973. It is made clear to all members that no member shall violate any instruction or extend any favor, relating to the vote of no confidence, to any other parliamentary party/group whatsoever,” the PTI chairman added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Imran Khan Tuesday said that when the rulers had clear intentions; all the conspiracies, hatched internally or externally, were bound to fail. He thanked the opposition parties for its conspiracies which had further increased popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and stirred a new wave of fervor in its ranks. The prime minister expressed these views during a meeting with the member of the National and Sindh assemblies and party office bearers belonging to Sindh province, PM Office Media Wing said in a press release. The prime minister said the PTI was the only grass rooted national level political party and opined that by spending money, the public gatherings could not be arranged.

When a nation resolved to change the fate of country, he said, the result were reflected in the shape of public gatherings like the recently one held in Islamabad with the spirit of ‘Amr bil Ma’ruf’. Governor Sindh Imran Ismail, Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Zaidi and Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain were also present during the meeting. The prime minister observed that it was the country’s biggest public gathering, openly reflecting public trust in PTI. Addressing the members, he said that they had joined the party as workers and now representing their constituencies in the parliament.

The members offered felicitation to the prime minister on historic public gathering in Islamabad and PTI-led Sindh rights march. Expressing their complete confidence in the leadership of prime minister, they appreciated him for a successful foreign policy, and prime minister’s efforts for Namoos-e-Risalat (SAW) and Islamophobia and subsequent adoption of a resolution by the UN. The prime minister directed them to further strengthen the organization in the province, especially at the district level.