Qureshi, Rashid warn against disrupting OIC moot

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed came down hard on the joint opposition for threatening to block the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) conference, scheduled to commence in Islamabad from March 22.

Talking to a private television channel, Qureshi also hoped that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would not become a tool to fulfil the Indian agenda of sabotaging the crucial meeting. Talking to a private television channel soon after the hard-hitting presser by Bilawal, Qureshi said it appeared that the PPP chairman had issued his statement out of ‘naivety and worry’ and should review his statement.

Also read: Opposition threatens to block OIC moot if no no-trust vote delayed

He further said that Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Fazlur Rehman had earlier announced the postponing of the opposition’s long march in view of the OIC meeting, while on the other hand, they [PPP] were preparing to organise a sit-in.

Qureshi went on to advise the “seniors” of Bilawal’s party to let him know that this was not a matter of the government but of the state and national integrity. According to him, the opposition shouldn’t be worried about the success of the no-trust move if they have the required numbers.

He added if that was the case, opposition leaders should have looked confident and not the other way around. “If they [opposition] have the required numbers, then we should be the ones looking worried, but instead they looked worried.”

He made it clear that the government wanted to face the no-confidence motion in a political and democratic manner. “We don’t want a collision at any costs and will not restrain any lawmaker [from exercising their right to vote]. Every lawmaker has the right to exercise this right as per their conscious.”

He added, “We will try to talk to any disgruntled members of the party but we won’t force anything on them because we don’t want to create a scene.” Qureshi noted that the no-trust move was being presented now, while the OIC moot had already been scheduled.

Also read: PPP announces no-confidence move to oust K-P govt

‘You dare not obstruct it’

Meanwhile, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid dared the opposition to try and block the international-level conference. Talking to a private TV channel, the minister termed the OIC conference a matter of national security.

“Those due to attend the conference are our guests and the Pakistan Army has taken up the task of providing security to them,” he said, adding that the government would “take care” of the opposition with ease and no one could dare create an obstacle in the way of the meeting.