‘Confident’ Imran assures PTI lawmakers of victory in no-trust vote

On the eve of the no-confidence vote in National Assembly, a visibly confident Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday assured lawmakers belonging to his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of victory in the much-awaited contest in the lower house of parliament.

He also fired a fresh salvo at the joint opposition leadership, saying that the United States wanted to bring its "slaves" to the government.

Addressing PTI parliamentarians at the PM House in Islamabad, he used the US's name multiple times, which, according to him, conspired against his government in order to remove him from the position of power.

The US's name until this point had been kept in the dark — barring a "mistake" during PM's address to the nation on Friday — due to diplomatic obligations but the PM Imran named the country on several occasions during his speech today.

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"This game had been going on since October [last year] along with some traitors of this nation... I am straightforwardly naming the country today with which the opposition conspired and it is the United States," he said.

PM Imran alleged that the United States wanted a "slave" leadership in Pakistan that will not object to drone attacks and the killing of innocent Pakistanis.

"These shameless people will make a nation of 220 million a slave... they (opposition leaders) say [to the US] that they are their number one servant," he added.

The premier said that such documents are never handed over in writing but the United States did that and it is part of the official record now. "It says if you remove Imran Khan then relations with Pakistan will normalise... they know that 'cherry blossom' will be the next prime minister after Imran Khan," he said in an apparent reference to PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif.

Taking a jibe at Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz, PM Imran said that the one who had his sherwani ready for premiership does not know what is going to happen to him on Sunday.

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"The match is not over till the last ball. I am not worried about tomorrow... God willing, we will emerge victorious," he said.

Lashing out at the dissenting PTI lawmakers, PM Imran said that he regretted that some people sold their consciousness. "Their pictures are being shared on social media. They're in hiding these days. I am thankful to the Almighty that he has exposed these people... I will feel ashamed even shaking hands with such people," he added.

The prime minister said that all opposition sought from him during the last three years was NRO (amnesty) which he will never give to them. "What they (opposition leaders) did was for democracy? or nation? No, it was only to get NRO... they want me to forget them but I will never do that," he added.

He said that PML-N's reputation had been badly tarnished in Punjab and challenged that the party will not be able to win in the province be it by-polls or general elections.

In his concluding remarks, the premier said that he will never forget those who stood by him during these testing times. "I always remember those who support me during difficult times... I am thankful to the Almighty that those who joined me only to make money were not around me anymore."