Won’t resign, will spring a surprise: PM Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: In an ominous tone, Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Wednesday he would in no way tender his resignation, adding that on the eve of no-trust voting he would give a surprise to the opposition.

Talking to a select group of reporters in the federal capital, he cautioned that if his government falls then he will not remain silent.

The premier asked journalists to write it down that the no-confidence motion was bound to fail. He was quoted as saying, “I will spring up a surprise on the opposition one day before voting. I will lay my card one day before voting. It will be known who resigns while the opposition has already shown all its cards”. He claimed the opposition came under pressure and revealed all their cards and the no-trust motion is the last one from their side.

He again said, “Our surprise is still there and the opposition will know in the morning how many of their people have left them. But we did not buy members while in government. In contrast, many of our people were offered money and after the offers came, our members also wondered with Rs15 billion all could be bought and governments installed in three provinces as well as Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Kashmir, ” he added.

He then asked which constitution allows overthrowing an elected government by spending money. “Will you buy 20 people and bring down the government,” Prime Minister Imran asked. He said whosoever goes away from PTI, will go for money and added whoever meets Zardari, he will do so for money. The main objective of sending a reference to the Supreme Court of Pakistan, he noted, was to obstruct the buying and selling of votes.

To a question on the PTI’s ruling coalition partners' support for the no-trust motion. He also made it clear that in any case, NRO will not be given to the opposition leaders, saying the battle has just begun and he is not going to give up.

“No matter how much pressure the thieves put, I will fight to the last and remember the battle has not started yet, so where did the resignation come from, I would rather die. I do not understand why there is talk of resignation. Should I raise my hand even before the fight has started? We will win the no-confidence match,” he claimed. Premier explained that someone might have misunderstood that he will sit at home. He then asked should he resign under pressure from thieves. “These people have gathered against me to save their corruption. The politics of PMLN and PPP's politics is all about to protect and hide their theft but that is now coming to an end,” he claimed. He said that he could not shake hands with a person who was immersed in corruption and remarked, “I just cannot betray my God and my country. I will never sit with Shehbaz Sharif for advice or consultation: Why should I insult myself by sitting with Shehbaz Sharif. I just can’t sit with national criminals”.

He regretted that the army is being wrongly criticised and contended that the country needed a strong army and that if it were not for the Army, the country would have been split into three. He added the army should not be discredited for politics. “I still have good relations with the Army: There are no differences with anyone and it is wrong to talk about any differences from the Army Chief. If Pakistan is safe today, it is because of Pak Army but the army is being criticised while the army is the guarantor of the country's security. The Army is constantly being attacked, Pakistan is in dire need of an army,” the prime minister argued. On the much-discussed issue of not being neutral, he contended that the term neutral was misinterpreted and explained he had spoken in the context of ordering good and preventing evil.

After March 27, the prime minister emphasised his support will go above 90% and claimed that he has a trump card up his sleeve. However, he added confidently that the opposition was over after the no-confidence motion, saying the no-confidence motion has re-established his party. In recent days, he claimed the popularity of the PTI has seen a huge increase. Imran said he had held the largest ever public meetings in the history of the country and the one on March 27 would be even the unprecedented, showing his popularity.

He came down hard on the Sharifs and Zardari and alleged they come to power only to make money and plunder the nation’s wealth. He went on to charge that both Zardari and Sharif brothers are brands of corruption, having no ideology but to make money. “Opposition puppets are running on the remote but the era of Changa Manga is over,” he stressed and noted Nawaz Sharif started giving envelopes to journalists. Imran alleged Nawaz Sharif bought media houses and added then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif robbed a bank and made money. In his first term as PM, Nawaz Sharif appointed his favourites as bank chiefs and did not repay the loan taken from banks. “Nawaz Sharif established mills and factories by looting the public money.

Asked on reports of his meeting with senior PMLN politician Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, PM Imran said he had a 40-year-old relationship with Chaudhry Nisar whom he keeps meeting and added whatever is decided, will be decided by Chaudhry Nisar himself. About JUIF and PDM supremo Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Prime Minister said Fazlur Rehman is the 12th player in politics and time has run out for him.