Imran Khan does not do politics for himself but for the nation: Asad Umar
ISLAMABAD, Mar 17 (SABAH): Hours after seeing nearly two dozen of their fellow PTI MNAs openly dissenting and found staying at Sindh House in a clear indication that they would go against their party in the upcoming no-trust move, a trio of key government ministers held a press conference in Islamabad, saying that Prime Minister Imran Khan could also throw money at opposition lawmakers but would not do so as he does not stand for “politics of blackmailing and bribery”.
“Imran Khan does not do politics for himself but for the nation,” said Federal Minister for Planning and Development Asad Umar as Energy Minister Hammad Azhar and Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry sat by his side. “There is no personal interest of his and that is why he neither blackmails anyone not gets blackmailed.”
“He has never done this sort of politics and will never do it in the future. Nobody should have any doubt that PTI will fight till the end but the only difference is that what we will do will be within the ambit of law and Constitution. “We will not do any thing illegal,” he added.
“The entire nation is seeing that they (the opposition) only use the name of democracy under the garb of which they mean to do business.”
Energy Minister Hammad Azhar said: “The nation saw that this is the system against which Imran Khan took a stand. This is the system of horse trading, bribery, and auctions to the tune of 200m and 400m.
“We want to make it clear that we will not do any deals and will not disburse ministries to stay in power. We will remain engaged with our allies but there will be no wheeling and dealing.
Earlier in the day, dissenting PTI MNAs Raja Riaz and Malik Nawab Sher Waseer had said that they would vote on the no-confidence motion tabled against Prime Minister Imran Khan in “accordance with their conscience”.
Commenting on that remark, Hammad Azhar said: “This is not the voice of their conscience but [rather the voice of] money.”
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said the PTI rejected the politics of “blackmailing and wheeling dealing because of the promise we made to our people”.
“This is the business model of Zardari: invest, come in government and take money. Now it is obligatory to reject this decade of darkness and rise in support of Imran Khan. “Our workers are angry. I ask them not to take law into their hands but ‘protest is your right.'”
He said his party has already initiated legal proceedings on the matter, saying that “as per Article 63A 1, if a party leader come to a conclusion that a member of his party has left, then he can move a reference for their disqualification.” “After the videos, there is no doubt that they have left the party,” added Umar.
Top PTI leadership says today’s incident of Sindh House has exposed hidden agenda of opposition’s leaders, vindicating Prime Minister Imran Khan’s view that they are involved in horse trading.
Asad Umar said being the popular leader the Prime Minister Imran Khan will never be blackmailed through any such immoral tactic. He said PPP and PML-N always use the name of democracy to set and promote their businesses.
The Minister made it clear that PTI’s every move will be according to the constitution and law of the land. He reiterated his party’s commitment to stay strong against opposition’s no confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Meanwhile earlier in the day Fawad Chaudhry said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will defeat ‘No Confidence Motion’ of the opposition with the support of the youth.
Addressing Green Youth Movement in Islamabad on Thursday, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan is the hope of youth and opposition will not succeed in its conspiracies against the government. The Minister said ruling party will hold a historic public gathering at D-Chowk in Islamabad, which is its political right.
Fawad Chaudhry said that PTI does not believe in politics of violence and clash.
Speaking on the occasion, Planning Minister Asad Umar said the government has taken several initiatives to tackle the issue of climate change. He said government is constructing three dams to address issues of water crisis and climate change in the country.
In his remarks, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister on Youth Affairs Usman Dar said 42 billion rupees have so far been disbursed among youth while 25,000 businesses have been established under Kamyab Jawan Program.
In their addresses, Special Assistant on Climate Change Malik Amin Aslam and Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul shed light on prudent climate-base policies of the incumbent government, which helped in making Pakistan a ‘Green Champion.’
Kamyab Jawan Green Youth Movement, which was inaugurated, will be executed through 137 public universities and Green Youth Movement Clubs.