Pakistan’s ruling party PTI has asked supporters to gather at the D-Chowk to show solidarity with Prime Minister Imran Khan, who faces a no-confidence motion by the opposition parties in the National Assembly.
In a tweet, Federal Minister for Energy Hammad Azhar said the date and time for the public gathering would be announced soon, directing the party workers to start the preparations. The minister added that the old Pakistani dacoit regime is now going to be buried forever, and Pakistan will be genuinely independent.
“The date of the D-Chowk meeting will be announced soon. All workers start preparations. This meeting will not be a general meeting. The old Pakistani dacoit regime is now going to be buried forever. Pakistan is going to be truly independent,” the minister tweeted.
ڈی چوک جلسے کی تاریخ کا اعلان جلد ہو جائے گا۔ تمام کارکن تیاریاں شروع کر دیں۔
یہ جلسہ کوئی عام جلسہ نہ ہو گا۔
پرانے پاکستان کا ڈاکو راج نظام اب ہمیشہ کے لئے دفن ہونے جا رہا ہے۔
پاکستان حقیقی معنوں میں آزاد ہونے جا رہا ہے۔— Hammad Azhar (@Hammad_Azhar) March 12, 2022
On the other hand, Pakistan People’s Party’s Punjab Chief and Former Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf has said they can organize a ten times bigger demonstration in Islamabad. Ashraf said the PPP would stage a demonstration on the same day as the PTI.
In another development, the opposition has decided to move a no-trust motion against National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser. Reportedly, over 100 members of the National Assembly of the joint opposition have signed a no-trust move against Qaiser, saying the Speaker has “lost his neutrality.”
Read more: Opposition covering up its failure with no-trust move: Farrukh
On Thursday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid had said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers who “cross the floor” to vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan would be disqualified by the NA speaker.
Pakistan’s political battle heats up!
On Tuesday, a total of 86 lawmakers, mainly from the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz and Pakistan People’s Party, submitted an application to the Speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser. The Speaker is bound to summon a National Assembly session to vote on the move within the next seven days.
Following the no-confidence motion, PM Imran said that the motion will become the opposition’s “political death,” adding that he has plans to foil the move.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf currently holds a narrow majority in the National Assembly with the help of several smaller parties. It has 179 seats in the 342-member house, seven more than required for the simple majority.
On Monday, the prime minister suffered a blow when several lawmakers led by his estranged confidant Jahangir Khan Tareen hinted that they could support the move.
Read more: Will Jahangir Tareen move against PTI govt?
The group, however, said it would decide on the matter once the no-trust motion was submitted.
During a rally in Lower Dir on Friday, Prime Minister Imran Khan criticized Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari, and Shehbaz Sharif. The PM said he has been given an opportunity to “take all three wickets with one inswing yorker.”
Moreover, in a recent meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhary Muhammad Sarwar and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, PM Khan has said the government is stable and joint opposition will face defeat.