No safe passage: opposition to Imran

ISLAMABAD: The combined opposition on Thursday gave a clear message to Prime Minister Imran Khan that he would be given neither safe passage nor NRO.

The opposition said that Imran Khan had the option of either resigning or getting ready to be voted out as he clearly lost majority in the National Assembly. in the National Assembly and PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif along with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUIF Parliamentary Leader Maulana Asad Mehmood, BNP (Mengal) Chief Sardar Akhtar Mengal, BAP Parliamentary Leader Khalid Magsi, ANP’s Amir Haider Khan Hoti and NDP Chief Moshin Dawar, asked if this "selected" prime minister had any constitutional or ethical justification left.

Shehbaz Sharif also raised serious question over the role of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri saying that he had failed to follow the constitutional procedure by calling the debate session on the no-confidence motion off.

When asked about the reports suggesting that the opposition might withdraw no-confidence motion, Shehbaz Sharif rejected these reports saying that no chance of it as the opposition had decided to follow the Constitution and law.

When asked whether they had convinced those with whom meeting was held on Wednesday night, the opposition leader said that it was decided that they would follow only the Constitution and law.

In reply to another question, Shehbaz said the opposition would not back out from no-confidence motion against the prime minister. He said that the entire nation saw that 172 opposition members were present in the House, however, the deputy speaker did not allow voting.

The opposition leader added that he, along with Bilawal, went to the NA secretary after the deputy speaker adjourned the session till April 3. "The secretary informed us that the decision not to hold debate on no-confidence motion was taken by the deputy speaker," he said.

Shehbaz said that the prime minister had made false accusations against Nawaz Sharif of conspiring with the Israeli intelligence agencies. “Don’t force us to go to the lowest level like you…..everyone who was sending funds as your donor included Israelis and Indians and you are trying to hide this fact in foreign funding case,” he said.

Shehbaz said that the letter he was referring to was sent to the committee instead of bringing it to Parliament and the united opposition was called. “I just got a verbal message for it…This is just a lie and a fraud. Such memos come and go every day. Bring proof of which country has intervened regularly,” he said.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said, “Whenever we arrive in the National Assembly, Imran will be defeated. Today there were 172 opposition members in the National Assembly Hall but Imran ran away.”

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari asked how long he could run from the no-confidence. “Now, Imran Khan is bowing before everyone and asking others to save him,” he said.

He said there was no face-saving for him now and the only honourable way for him was to resign so that Shahbaz Sharif could take the seat of the prime minister. “It is too late for Imran to get an NRO,” he said.

The PPP chairman said that the delay was not only harming Imran but also the foreign policy, economy and the institutions. In reply to a question, Bilawal said that the ministers of Imran Khan were pleading for withdrawing the motion but all the opposition stood united and rejected this suggestion.

He said Imran Khan came to power undemocratically and was going by a democratic process. “If he wants to a have a little respect in the eyes of the people, he should immediately resign. However, he is begging everyone for support,” he said.

JUIF Parliamentary Leader Asad Mehmood said that in the past the prime ministers of Pakistan were removed through undemocratic ways and they kept asking why they fired him and today they wanted to console the incumbent Prime Minister. “We want to tell him why he was being voted out but Speaker and Deputy Speaker do not want him to know,” he said.

He said reports was being spread from various sources that one lakh people would be gathered in Islamabad. “If this was done, we also have the right to protect our members,” he said. Balochistan National Party (BNP) chief Akhtar Mengal said that the united opposition had proved its majority today.

He said that if the captain ran away from the field, his team would also run away in the same way. “The House has been turned into a comedy theatre,” he said. ANP's Ameer Haider Hoti blamed the prime minister and PTI for the political crisis in the country, saying that the main characters behind it were the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. “If the prime minister really wants to resolve issues, gathering of one million people will not do it. He just needs the support of 172 lawmakers," the ANP leader said.

He gave the message to prime minister, “Ghabrana nahi hai (not to panic)“. He should either resign or hold voting on the no-confidence motion, as there was "no third option," he said. Mohsin Dawar said that many tactics were being tried to thwart the no-confidence motion but after today all future decisions had to be taken by the same political leadership which is present here.

He said that Ali Wazir's production order had not been issued again today. Earlier, the National Assembly proceedings were abruptly adjourned within minutes for another two days without holding a debate and voting on the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, after the resolution was moved on Monday, had announced that debate on the same would be held on Thursday but he adjourned the proceedings 13 minutes after its start.

The government, however, suffered a defeat on a motion seeking to take permission of the House to use the National Assembly hall for the meeting of Parliament's National Security Committee. The House rejected the motion moved by the Adviser on Parliamentary Affairs with majority voice.

As per the National Assembly's record, as many as 172 parliamentarians belonging to the opposition parties were present in the House on Thursday. Instead of asking for kicking off debate on the resolution, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri opted to start the Question-Hour. However, every opposition member who was given the floor to question, suggested the chair to start the debate on the resolution.

PMLN's Marriyum Aurangzeb, while speaking on a point of order, said the whole nation wanted voting on the resolution, therefore, the same should be allowed in the House immediately. Ahsan Iqbal said that he would also repeat the same demand made by his party colleague.

As the opposition members started protesting, the Deputy Speaker adjourned the proceedings till Sunday after 11.30am, saying that none of members was taking the Question-Hour seriously.

The Deputy Speaker adjourned the proceedings amid strong protest from the opposition members who surrounded the Speaker's dais. Around 150 members, including Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari kept sitting in the House a little over 30 minutes as a protest against the adjournment of proceedings till Sunday.

The opposition leader, Shehbaz Sharif, while talking to newsmen, said that the presence of 173 members who were required for the success of the no-confidence resolution, were present in the House on Thursday. "It shows that Imran Khan has lost majority in the House and now there is no constitutional justification for him to remain in power anymore," he said. He said that the chair would have to allow voting in the National Assembly on the no-confidence resolution on Sunday otherwise the NA Speaker would commit a violation of the Constitution.

Meanwhile, a meeting of parliamentarians from the joint opposition, which was held prior to the National Assembly session on Thursday, maintained that Prime Minister Imran Khan would not be given any NRO. "The meeting reiterated the resolve to take the no-confidence resolution to its logical end through constitutional, legal and parliamentary procedure within the given time-frame and Imran Khan will not be given any NRO," the joint opposition in a declaration said.

The meeting maintained that the joint opposition, through its no-confidence resolution, would set new democratic and constitutional traditions. "It will be the start of new constitutional and democratic journey," the opposition said. The opposition further maintained that some misleading news being spread by the government circles would not change the opposition's commitment. The joint opposition felt that Imran Niazi had lost majority in the House and was occupying the slot of the Prime Minister unconstitutionally. The gathering of 172 opposition members observed that Imran Khan in lust for power was threatening to bring 100,000 people to Islamabad to create anarchy and unrest in the country. "Imran Khan will be responsible for consequences of such unwise approach," the opposition's parliamentarians said.

The meeting also asked the government machinery, including Inspector General Police, Islamabad, district administration and other departments not to obey unconstitutional and illegal directives of a person who was no more the Prime Minister of the country. "Those obeying illegal orders will have to face law of the land," the declaration of the opposition meeting said.

All the 84 PML-N parliamentarians, 55 out of 56 PPP members, 14 out of 15 MMA members, MQM (7), Balochistan National Party Mengal (4), Balochistan Awami Party (4), Jamhoori Watan Party (1), ANP (1) and four independent members attended the meeting.