No PTI MP to enter NA, along with opposition, says Sindh governor

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Imran Ismail on Saturday said that no lawmaker belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) will enter the hall of National Assembly along with the opposition legislators at the time of voting on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

He said this while talking to the media persons after inaugurating a free medical camp at the Karachi Press Club.

To a question, he conceded that the estranged leaders of the ruling party, Jahangir Khan Tareen and Abdul Aleem Khan, had some grievances but they would never part ways with the PTI. He said the Chaudhry brothers (of PML-Q) were with the PTI as leaving the coalition government was not an easy thing.

The governor said that he had thrice met disgruntled PTI leader Aleem Khan as he (Aleem Khan) had to go to London, adding that he would soon meet him again.

He said the PTI lawmakers, who would opt to go with the opposition to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion, would be forced to leave their homes.

He said the recent visit of Prime Minister Imran Khan at the head office of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) had been pre-planned as no discussion on the issue of pending no-confidence motion had taken place.

He said that they had been in contact with all the legislators of the PTI from Sindh.

The governor said it was a desire of the federal government that the residents of Sindh province should be provided the health insurance cards, but the facility could not be extended due to technical reasons. He said that negotiations were held with different non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in this regard.

He further said the health insurance card facility would be launched for the journalists of Karachi and rest of Sindh, adding that he had old ties with the Karachi Press Club.

KPC President Fazil Jamili and Secretary Rizwan Bhatti also spoke on the occasion.

They appreciated the governor for establishing a medical camp that would provide clinical testing and diagnostic facilities to the working journalists.

They said the KPC had also been taking a number of steps to ensure the welfare and wellbeing of the working journalists and their family members.