It is the constitutional right of opposition parties to move a no-confidence motion against PM: Qureshi
ISLAMABAD, April 09 (SABAH): Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that the government will face the no-confidence motion moved by the Opposition Parties against the Prime Minister in a constitutional, political and democratic manner.
Speaking in the National Assembly on Saturday, on the points raised by Leader of the Opposition Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, he said that it is the constitutional right of opposition parties to move a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Prime Minister Imran Khan, in his address to the nation on Friday, expressed dissatisfaction over the Supreme Court judgment but also stated that he accepts the judgment. He said given current political situation the Prime Minister dissolved the assembly as he wanted the people to decide the political future of the country.
The Foreign Minister recalled that the National Security Committee had acknowledged the threat letter as a serious and sensitive matter, and termed it interference in the internal matters of Pakistan. He said demarches were also issued in the light of the statement of National Security Committee.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi said blatant attempts are being made for regime change in Pakistan and history will expose the elements behind it.
He said Pakistan being a sovereign state will not accept dictation from any other country. He said the threat letter is authentic which was forwarded by a seasoned diplomat. He proposed an in-camera session of the parliament on the matter. He said the ambassador in Washington can be asked to give a briefing to the house to ascertain whether or not the document is authentic.
The Foreign Minister said Pakistan desires to improve relations with all the countries including the United States, China, Russia and the European Union to enhance its diplomatic space. He said we do not want to be hostile to any country.
PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari began his speech by telling panel of chairman Amjad Ali Khan Niazi he was violating the Constitution and the court’s orders. “You cannot take up anything else except for what is on the agenda. Not only you, the speaker also did the same,” he told him, demanding that voting is held on the no-confidence motion.
At this, Niazi told the PPP chairman that the court can’t intervene in parliamentary matters. Bilawal replied by saying that Niazi would be disqualified for violating the law, adding that this was not the first time the court had set aside the speaker’s ruling.
Turning his guns on PM Imran, Bilawal said that the premier was breaking the law on his way out of office. “If you want to be involved in it, then it’s your choice. But I had warned the prime minister to stay away from the man speaking before me,” he said, referring to the foreign minister.
The PPP chairman alleged that FM Qureshi was responsible for the premier’s troubles, again calling for voting to be held on the no-confidence motion. “If you don’t come to today’s agenda, then you should know that the opposition will not leave […] we will snatch our constitutional rights from you.”
He said that the government had lost its majority in the assembly. “We can debate on the foreign conspiracy for 100 days but first conduct voting.”
Bilawal alleged that the government had told several lies in this whole saga. The supposed conversation took place on March 7 and the no-confidence was presented on March 8, he noted.
“But there is a time difference between Pakistan and America which means that the no-trust move was presented as the conversation was underway.”
He claimed that those who were advising the prime minister were only thinking about themselves. “They will land him in trouble.” He also called the premier out for being absent during today’s session.
Once again turning his guns on Qureshi, Bilawal questioned why the foreign minister was not present for the National Security Committee meeting. He also questioned why the statement issued after the meeting did not mention the no-trust motion. “It just included a decision to issue a demarche.”
Bilawal said that if there was a conspiracy against the government, PM Imran should have taken action immediately. He maintained that the current battle was not between the PTI, the PPP or the PDM, rather between those who upheld the Constitution and those who disregarded it.
The PPP chairman added that PM Imran was “scared of fair and free elections”. The prime minister knows that he will be defeated in the same way he was defeated in the by-elections, Bilawal thundered, adding that the prime minister could not be Zulfikar Ali Bhutto no matter how hard he tried.
He said that the opposition wanted to oust the government in a “democratic way”. “This is the only legal and democratic means to dismiss the government,” he said, adding that the NA belonged to the people of Pakistan.
Talking about the government’s claims of horse-trading, he asked how much money the foreign minister took each time he switched alliances. “Ninety per cent of the faces on the treasury benches are turncoats.”
He added that PM Imran had divided the house, the judiciary, the establishment and the entire country. “The prime minister should show sportsmanship. He is the first captain who is running away from the pitch after taking away the wicket.”
In his speech, former president Asif Ali Zardari began by saying that he never wanted to make personal attacks. He lamented the recent devaluation of the rupee and highlighted how the central bank had increased interest rates.
“I just want to make a request to hold voting on the no-confidence motion. Don’t waste time.” He said that the stock market rose after the apex court issued its verdict while the dollar also fell, once again calling on the speaker to hold the vote.
“I don’t want to go to the court against you tomorrow. We have to live in Pakistan. We have to maintain links with every political party. So hold the vote and end this. Let’s move forward so that Pakistan can prosper,” he told Qaiser.
This prompted the NA speaker to say that he would implement the court’s directive in “true spirit”.
Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F’s) Maulana Asad Mehmood said that the government wanted to sabotage the country’s politics, the Constitution and the parliament by using the “threat letter”.
He questioned why the government did not present the “threat letter” to lawmakers in parliament. “Why did you use the letter to break the law and dismiss the no-confidence motion?”
He claimed that the government had lost the mandate as well as the support of its allies and lawmakers. He said that PM Imran was fighting for himself and not the nation, adding that the government was lying about the NSC meeting.
He claimed the speaker no longer had any more excuses to delay the vote and called on him to accept his defeat.
Earlier, Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif alluded to the judgment of Supreme Court in a Suo Moto case, stressing that the proceedings of the House be taken forward as per the judgment.
Speaker Asad Qaiser assured to implement the judgment of the apex court in letter and spirit.
PML-N leader Khawaja Muhammad Saad Rafique also demanded early voting on the no confidence motion. He said there is a clear direction of the Supreme Court on it.
Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umer regretted horse trading in the house. He said this process must be stopped to strengthen democratic setup. Asad Umar has said about 5.5 million jobs have been created, due to prudent policies of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, during the last three years.
Speaking in the National Assembly on a point of order, he said, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz during five years government had created about 5.7 jobs.
Sharing the achievements of his government on economic front, he said, that Pakistan achieved highest exports. He said the country had achieved over 5 percent growth rate during last two years, which was the highest in the last 15 years.
Criticizing the opposition parties for becoming part of a conspiracy being hitched by foreign powers against the elected government of PTI, he said people of Pakistan would never support the elements working against the interest of the country.
He said the government had decided to share contents of the threatening letter with the members of the Parliament, keeping in view the supremacy of the Parliament.
He regretted that leadership of the opposition had refused to attend the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security convened by the Speaker National Assembly. The minister once again invited the opposition parties for an in-camera briefing on the “Threat Letter” to the parliament.