PDM agrees on no-trust motion

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Friday evening announced that the Opposition alliance has unanimously decided to move a no-confidence motion against the PTI government, Geo News reported.

Fazl was speaking at a press conference after holding a meeting of the PDM in Lahore. He was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, PMLN Vice President Maryam Nawaz and Leader of the Opposition in the Punjab Assembly Hamza Shehbaz.

Other members of the anti-government alliance joined the meeting via a video link. The PDM chief said the alliance would approach the government's allied parties to have them on board so as to acquire a voting majority in the National Assembly -- a prerequisite to bringing a no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

Fazl went on to say that all Opposition parties that were present during the meeting have decided unanimously that this “illegal government should be sent packing”. “We will first do our homework, so we cannot talk about a definite timeframe for this move," he said, adding that the government's allied parties should keep the plight of the masses in their mind and make a decision accordingly.

"When it comes to politics, you have to have a big heart," he said. "We are political people, so we will make calculated decisions." Answering a question, the PDM chief said all the "homework" related to the no-confidence motion will be completed before the Opposition's planned long march, which is set to begin on Pakistan Day (March 23).

When asked why the PDM announced the decision to bring about a no-confidence motion against the government without completing the "homework", Fazl said the Opposition should be allowed to make preparations first.

"The PDM has announced the no-confidence motion at this stage because we have a firm intention of doing so. Without preparations, we cannot give a date, so let us do our work," he said.

Answering a question about the planned long march, he said it will take place as per schedule, while the PDM's steering committee will chalk out a plan for this purpose. When a reporter asked Fazl what the PDM will do if the government's allied parties refuse to cooperate, he said: "In that case, we will hold talks with them once again and try to convince them."

Speaking on the occasion, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said they reached the decision keeping in view sufferings of the people of Pakistan during the tenure of the present government.

"There are millions of people who have been affected by the oppressive policies of the current government... they look towards the sky for help and stage protest against the government," he added.

To a question regarding an alleged contact between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and the PPP leaders, Shehbaz said Fazl's relations with the PPP are older than his. Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry threw up a challenge to the PDM to bring a no-confidence motion tomorrow.

The minister, while responding to the news conference of the PDM leaders, said a meeting of the ‘Pakistan Corruption Limited Party’ was held to bring a confidence motion against the government.

“Opposition should dare and bring the no-confidence motion tomorrow. No one has the courage to bring a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan,” he said. Fawad said if Shehbaz Sharif believes that with such tactics he can avoid being indicted in the money laundering case on February 18, this will not happen.

He added that Maulana Fazlur Rehman has been trying to send the government home from day one but he has no strength in his arms. “Today, their weaknesses were evident from the conversations of the PDM leaders. Opposition parties are challenged to come up with a no-confidence motion tomorrow,” he said.

“There are political rats in the opposition who think that if they run more on the roof it will make more noise and they will survive,” Fawad added. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad said all coalition partners are united with the PTI government.

While talking to a private television channel, he said the Opposition had already failed in the long march and no-confidence movement.

Sheikh Rashid said the political party leaders working under the umbrella of PDM did not have any agenda or ideology to show to the masses. “The people will not come out for the long march being planned by PDM parties on 23rd March,” he said.

The people, he said, had already rejected the PDM’s plan against the government. Replying to a question, the minister said the Opposition benches have no power to launch long march or no-confidence movement because all the allied parties are united with Prime Minister Imran Khan.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari welcomed the PDM’s announcement of bringing a no-confidence motion against the PTI government, saying it was victory of democracy. “It is a victory for democracy that most opposition parties now agree to bring a no-confidence motion against the government,” he tweeted on Friday.

Bilawal said the prime minister has lost the confidence of the people and it is about time he lost the confidence of the Parliament.