PTI can’t stall no-trust move: Bilawal

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has expressed the resolve not to let the PTI government avert the no trust move by delaying tactics.

Bilawal was addressing press conference on Sunday alongside JWP's Shahzain Bugti who announced to quit the ruling alliance. Bilawal Bhutto said the speaker's action of putting off the NA session to avert the no trust motion can be of no help to Imran Khan as the opposition will not be frustrated by such delaying tactics.

The prime minister has lost the confidence of his allies who have abandoned him, but will announce their decision at the time of their choice. Answering questions of the journalists, Bilawal said all of the government allies have made their decision to quit the federal government, but the timing to announce that to the country is their own choice.

He said the opposition believes in democracy and will use democratic means to drive out this undemocratic man. “We would like to congratulate the country on Imran losing his majority and government,” he said.

Bilawal said that attacking the parliament and threatening an emergency are all signs of a desperate man. “Those on the losing side use violence to disrupt peace,” he said. He brushed aside the government's threat to impose governor’s rule in Sindh, saying Imran cannot release a single notification or advice, let alone impose the Governor’s rule or declare an emergency. “The opposition is not taking this threat seriously."

Bilawal said at a time when the whole environment is politicised, it adds to the credibility of the Chief Justice that the opposition and the government’s representatives were present together in the Court. “We believe that the decision taken by the chief justice and the Supreme Court of Pakistan will be for the benefit of the country. It is the chief justice’s authority to form a bench in line with his desire,” he said.

In a reply to another question, the PPP chairman said our demand throughout history has been for the institutions of the country to work within their constitutional boundaries. We hope that neutrality is maintained. “The no-confidence is the test of their neutrality,” he said.

Separately, speaking at a dinner hosted by PPP MNA Khalid Lund, Bilawal said that “Imran Khan's surprise was that Bhutto is still alive.” It was the only one-liner comment of the PPP chairman on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s address to his Sunday public rally in Islamabad.

PPP Parliamentary leader in Senate Sherry Rehman, in a statement, declared the PM’s speech merely ranting of an unhinged mind. “Imran Khan has no business even bringing Shaheed Bhutto’s name to his crass tongue,” she said.

Sherry said Imran Khan’s claims are bizarre, tragic-comic, in fact. “He has lost support in parliament and in the court of the people,” she added. She said the common people could not bear the burden of his government’s terrible misrule. No foreign hand is needed to remove him. “That is just his delusional mind speaking. Cannot even be dignified with a response and sorry to see such toxic words pollute the public discourse,” she said.

Sherry said Imran clearly did not understand that attacking others would not help the country, or he himself. “But he clearly is not thinking of Pakistan or its stability. He is willing to push the country into the fire to save his own office; but it’s obvious to everyone the game is over,” she said. She said in any case in democracy, he has to learn to give up power. “Incumbency is not for life, which seems to be the sense of entitlement in his muffled mind,” she added.