No-confidence motion attempt at bargaining for fresh deal: FM Qureshi

Minister asserts PTI and its allies will thwart the opposition’s attempts to evade accountability

ISLAMABAD:

Minister of Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi said on Sunday that the opposition’s announcement to present the no-confidence motion against the ruling party is an “attempt at a bargaining chip for a fresh deal”.

Through his official Twitter handle, the minister asserted that the PTI and its coalition partners will thwart the opposition’s attempts to “evade accountability”, stating that corrupt politicians will not be given an National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Announcement to present no confidence motion is an attempt at a bargaining chip for a fresh deal. @PTIofficial parliamentarians & our allies will collectively defeat their attempts to evade accountability. As PM @ImranKhanPTI has consistently stated, possibility of an NRO is zero

— Shah Mahmood Qureshi (@SMQureshiPTI) February 20, 2022

Qureshi's remarks were made in light of the opposition’s plan to introduce a no-confidence motion against the government, the latter claiming that the motion is 'gaining steam', with enough lawmakers from the ruling party on its side to pull it off and secret meetings taking place for the purpose.

Read: Opposition’s no-trust plan 'gaining steam'

Talking to the media after attending a court hearing in Lahore, PML-N Punjab President Rana Sanaullah on Saturday claimed that the opposition had the support of "more than enough" government lawmakers required to make the no-trust motion successful.

The PML-N had also claimed that the Tareen group had conditionally offered its support to the opposition parties in return for the assurance of National and Punjab Assemblies’ tickets.