Shehbaz forms body for no-trust move in Punjab

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has geared up its activities to bring in a no-confidence move in Punjab in order to continue its pressure on PTI’s government.

Party sources said the PMLN President and Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has given his nod for the move. Sources said party leader and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif has also been taken into confidence for this action.

The sources said the party has mobilised all its MNAs, MPAs, ticket holders and office bearers to bring a no-confidence motion in Punjab.

Shehbaz Sharif has formed a committee, they said, adding Leader of the opposition in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz Sharif has been made the head of the committee and will mobilise people to bring a no-confidence motion in Punjab.

They said the committee included the names of PMLN Punjab President Rana Sanaullah Khan, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Saif-ul-Muluk Khokhar, Sardar Owais Leghari, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Khawaja Salman Rafique and Raheela Khadim Hussain. PML-N leaders have been tasked with winning the no-confidence motion.

The sources said as per the present party position, PTI has 183 seats in Punjab Assembly, PMLN has 165 seats, PMLQ has 10 seats, PPP has 7 seats, independent candidates has 5 seats and Pakistan Rah-e-Haq party has 1 seat. Total seats in Punjab Assembly are 371.

Party sources said if PPP, independent candidates and Rah-e-Haq party joined PMLN’s no-confidence move even then the number game will remain in the favour of PTI as it has 183 and PMLN with all these will have 178 members.

They said PMLQ will play a decisive role in the no-confidence of PMLN but if they didn’t join the PMLN camp, the PMLN may not bring in the motion unless it has some ‘guarantees’ from Tareen Group or the Cheena group.

Sources said PMLQ is also playing a dual game as recently Moonis Elahi, in a ceremony, has assured Prime Minister Imran Khan of full support while the very next day when Imran Khan was in Lahore, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi went to Islamabad and no meeting was held between him and Imran Khan.

PMLN Secretary Information Azma Bukhari said that the party is working on multiple options and the government will get a big surprise. In response to a question about the number game, she said this can’t be discussed publically.

Meanwhile, the PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz on Thursday said the opposition should take the risk of non-confidence move to topple the PTI-led government.

“Opposition's efforts to bring a no-trust movement to topple the incumbent government is a risk that must be taken,” said Maryam Nawaz while talking to media after hearing in the accountability court. She said the people were looking towards the opposition with the hope that someone raises their voice for them. “People will hold the opposition responsible if it does not respond to their concerns,” Maryam said.

Maryam asked all the parties, including the political allies of the ruling party, to step forward for the people's cause because it is a battle between the people and power. Criticising the prime minister, the PMLN leader said that Pakistan stands alone in the international community and not even its friends are willing to help. "Imran Khan not only destroyed the economy, but also the foreign policy and he went to China to ask for money but he couldn't even get that,” she said.

She went on to say that the premier starts speaking ill of other countries whenever he visits a country. "He ruined Pakistan’s relations with another country on his way back to Pakistan," she said.

Maryam suggested Imran Khan avoid making foreign visits saying that he should be locked inside a room of the Prime Minister's House from now.

Responding to a questioning regarding arrest of senior journalist Mohsin and act of torture against him, Maryam said it reminded her last days of Musharraf when his regime locked judges along with their families in their houses and dragged chief justice on the Constitution Avenue. Whatever has happened recently has reminded me of the last days of former president Musharraf's regime, Maryam said "When I look at Imran Khan's situation, I remember Musharraf's regime. Mohsin Baig was good in your eyes when he collected Rs1 billion for you but when he criticizes your government, you started jumping over walls of his house,” she said, adding that she doubts mental fitness of the prime minister.

Maryam said the prime minister should know that women of his house should be respected but the same standards should be set for women and daughters of others. “I very well remember that PTI activists invaded hospital in London to take pictures of my mother when she was on a ventilator, they also used to abuse me on my way to hospital,” she said.

She said very well remembers immoral speech of a federal minister against her during election campaign in Azad Jammu and Kashmir. “After all I am also daughter of somebody,” she said.

The PMLN leader pointed out that then PMLN government never targeted any journalists when they used to criticise the regime. She said that recent price hike was shameful and the people were cursing Imran Khan because they cannot get cheap petrol but Imran Khan is the only prime minister who flies to Banigala from PM's House in a helicopter on the people's expense.

Maryam said if there was no evidence then NAB’s case against her in the accountability court should not be prolonged. She said that she also wanted to request judges that justice delay is justice denied. “Let justice be done so that people should know that NAB made a bogus case against her,” she said.

She pointed out firstly the case was not heard for two months because the whole NAB was suffering from COVID-19 and now they sought another four weeks under pretext of changing prosecutors. She regretted that Prime Minister Imran Khan should have spent over three years in serving the masses but he wasted the time in political victimisation of opponents.