Decision on trust vote timing is ours: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Maryam Nawaz, accompanied by leaders of their respective parties, met here on Thursday to chalk out a strategy to counter the confidence vote move by Prime Minister Imran Khan for Saturday.

The meeting decided that the PDM would adopt an effective and joint strategy against the confidence vote move. Later, addressing a press conference along with Maryam Nawaz, he said Prime Minister Imran Khan “is a coward and he is afraid of elections. After backtracking on his statement of dissolving the assembly, he is now creating a new drama by seeking a vote of confidence from the parliament."

But, challenged Bilawal, now you would not be taking decisions. "I will tell you when and where the no-confidence motion will take place," he added. Bilawal said the ruling party’s defeat in the Senate was, in fact, the beginning of the end. He said the PDM was struggling against the “puppet government and the system” and was ready to use all available “weapons even if those were lotas”.

Bilawal said Imran Khan appeared on the national TV and said before the nation that his 15 members had traded their conscience. “But we know they were brave people who voted and resisted all the departments working under the PM. If Imran Khan was right and if he has the courage, he should remove those from the party who took money,” he said.

In reply to a question, Bilawal said the PDM would take its fight to the election of the Senate chairman, adding that the opposition would "not spare Prime Minister Imran Khan”. To another question, he aid the PDM’s position was clear that if they wanted to bring the open ballot method, they should bring it in the Parliament. He said they have learnt through experiences and that was the reason that Yusuf Raza Gilani had been elected as a senator from Islamabad.

He said the whole country was celebrating the success of Yusuf Raza Gilani and “we have defeated the puppet government jointly and now their president was also saying that Imran Khan had lost the majority”.

Bilawal said: “From the speeches of Imran Khan and his cabinet, it was clear that they are in panic and they know that their time is up and now the future is for the PDM, which will end the puppet show.”

Bilawal said the struggle for democracy was not only a one-day fight. It was a process and not just flick of a switch, which would turn the country into a democratic one. “We have to achieve it with joint efforts, and with our joint struggle, we have snatched space for ourselves,” he said. He said “if we wanted that every institution should work in their constitutional ambit, then we will have to continue struggle to achieve that space.”

Maryam said at the press conference the speech of PM Imran Khan was the speech of a defeated man. "He was speaking in anger, and was very upset," she said. Responding to allegations by the government ministers that the Senate elections were rigged, Maryam mocked the government by asking whether the recent by-elections were also rigged or not.

"With my head bowed in humility, I say that money did not prevail [in Senate elections]. Rather, the PML-N's ticket prevailed," a jubilant Maryam added. She said she understands that institutions have also suffered because of incompetence of Imran Khan. "From within the institutions, the people must be asking as to how they will take burden of a person who damaged the country," she said.

Maryam said they respected institutions and wanted that their image was not blotted. She said she wanted to express thanks to Almighty Allah that she did not hear speech of Imran Khan.

The PML-N leader said Imran Khan was talking about Chief Election Commissioner, chosen by himself. "This is the same Election Commission which continued to cover up your foreign funding case," she said. She asked Imran Khan that he should not blame others for his defeat. She said the victory of Yusuf Raza Gilani was celebrated by the PDM and the nation. "We jointly contested the election and emerged as winners," she said.

Maryam said Imran Khan was accusing his own people that they sell out their votes. She also questioned as to why Imran doled out Rs500 million to his people before the Senate elections. Bilawal was accompanied by Qamar Zaman Kaira, Faisal Karim Kundi, Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar, Qasim Gilani and Musa Gilani. PML-N leaders -- Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Ahsan Iqbal, Pervaiz Rashid and Khwaja Saad Rafique – accompanied Maryam Nawaz at the meeting.