Shehbaz demands 'foolproof security' on Sunday

Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has demanded foolproof security for lawmakers on April 3, the day the lower chamber of parliament holds no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PML-N chief, in a letter to the interior secretary, stated that PM Imran had announced that 100,000 Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf supporters would arrive in the federal capital on the day of the vote, therefore opposition members should be provided with enhanced security.

The letter further said that the district administration and the police should “perform their duties in accordance with the Constitution and the law” to ensure the security of the opposition lawmakers.

Shehbaz also demanded foolproof security on the day of the election of the new prime minister.
A copy of the letter has been sent to commissioner Islamabad, deputy commissioner and inspector general.

Read Timeline: No-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan

Elections for a new premier

The joint opposition on Thursday demanded that the election of a new prime minister must be added to the agenda of the National Assembly session.

An application was submitted to the NA on behalf of Shehbaz Sharif, which read that a supplementary agenda should be issued to include the matter of electing a new premier in case the no-confidence motion was passed in the ongoing session.

The voting on the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan will take place on April 3 after the opposition, irked by the adjournment of the National Assembly session earlier in the day within minutes after commencing, accused the premier of trying to escape the resolution.

“On coming Sunday, it will be decided in which direction this country will go,” the premier said during a live address to the nation on Thursday.

‘Imran destroying foreign ties’

Separately, the PML-N chief, while addressing a press conference, lambasted PM Khan for “destroying” the country’s foreign relations at the cost of the common man’s wellbeing, saying that the confrontational foreign policy had thrown the country’s international relations into jeopardy.

Shehbaz said that the premier was “shrinking the size of the bread” of Pakistanis by issuing such a statement against the leaders of European nations. The PML-N chief’s statement comes amid a heated debate - over the prime minister’s foreign policy and an alleged “exit” from the ‘Western camp’ – triggered by his speeches accusing “foreign forces of” hatching a conspiracy to topple him. PM Imran has during the recent speeches in the wake of the no-confidence motion insisted that his political perils were the price for crafting an independent foreign policy.

Hitting out at the prime minister’s claims, Shahbaz Sharif said by crying foul and peddling the narrative of a global conspiracy, the prime minister was ignoring the issues that brought him to this juncture.

Referring to a ‘letter’ that purportedly contains threats against PM Imran’s government and names the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, the opposition leader asked if the letter had arrived on March 7, why did the premier remained silent about it for three whole weeks and only decided to approach the National Security Committee (NSC) yesterday. "Fear God, who are you fooling?" he asked and said the ambiguous nature and contradictory statements of the prime minister regarding the origins of the letter were grotesque.

"First you [PM] named the United States and walked back and then alleged it of sending the threat again in your speech only to retract it," Shehbaz said. Responding to the premier’s claims that PML-N leadership had never said a word against the Western powers, the opposition leader said during the PML-N's government, Nawaz Sharif condemned drone attacks on every forum. “Have you no shame?”

In his address to the nation, PM Imran had claimed that he was the first politician to raise his voice against drone attacks and that no other politician had done it before him.

"His narrative of accountability has been shattered [...] in the name of accountability, he took the worst political revenge against political opponents," he added.

‘Defeat imminent’

As the National Assembly braces for the fateful session on the no-confidence vote, Shehbaz predicted that defeat for PM Imran was imminent on Sunday. He said the only cure for an "arrogant and stubborn" man's illness is to oust his government through the legal process.Bilawal rubbishes ‘foreign conspiracy theory’

Dismissing Prime Minister Imran Khan's allegations that the opposition was involved in a "foreign-funded conspiracy" to topple his government, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari urged the premier to leave his office ‘respectfully’ and not look for any "face-saving".

"The decision [to table a no-confidence motion] was taken long before Imran Khan's visit to Russia. We took many decisions during our CEC meeting in January," Bilawal maintained while addressing a news conference in Islamabad.

He stressed that the opposition's efforts to oust the incumbent government date back to the earliest days of PM Khan's government. "Did we know that the prime minister was going to visit Russia? Did we know that Russia was going to attack Ukraine? Mr prime minister, at least tell people lies which sound like truth," he remarked.

The PPP chief said that if the prime minister is refusing to see the facts, it doesn't mean that he is not going to lose. "If a common man had said something like what the prime minister is saying it would have been fine but when it comes from the mouth of a country's leader, it damages the country," he said and added that a routine diplomatic process has been made controversial.

Bilawal recalled that Imran Khan had earlier termed the opposition's no-confidence motion a "gift" but now declares it a global conspiracy against his government. "Please, first decide whether it is a gift from us or it is a foreign conspiracy," he mocked the premier.

‘Step down graciously’

The PPP chairperson went on to say that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, a peaceful no-confidence vote was taking place as at many times in the past, unconstitutional means were used for such purpose. "We have taken a constitutional route... it should not be made controversial."

Bilawal said the prime minister should fight against the constitutional process honourably and should not seek a "face-saving or a backdoor exit". "You (Imran Khan) were imposed upon this nation… it is about time you should think about your acts. Our steps would strengthen the democracy in this country," he added.

"We (opposition) have decided to bring electoral reforms [after the PTI government is removed] and then move forward with new elections in the country... we want the new government to have a mandate from the people and solve problems of the people."

Bilawal hoped that there would not be any "unconstitutional" step taken before Sunday's no-confidence vote against the premier.

‘Confused foreign policy’

Answering a question, the PPP leader echoed Shehbaz Sharif's concerns regarding the incumbent government's flawed foreign policy, recalling that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had at least visited Pakistan but when Imran Khan was in the opposition, he himself went to India to meet Modi.

"Even recently, Imran Khan lauded Modi's foreign policy despite his attack on IIOJK's status," he added.
Bilawal said that Imran Khan's foreign policy was confusing "because when he came to power, he asked his minister to do propaganda against CPEC which annoyed China".

He said that PM Imran did whatever was in his powers to have better relations with the US. "He even became a mini Trump. He shakes hand with Trump and comes back to Pakistan as if he had won another [cricket] World Cup."