PTI eyes no-trust move against PM

Barrister Gohar calls for national government and fresh elections

RAWALPINDI:

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has said the party will consult allied political parties over bringing a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who, according to him, has lost legitimacy after a key government ally questioned his mandate and democratic standing.

Speaking to the media near the Dahgal checkpoint outside Adiala Jail, Gohar said the prime minister should have immediately sought a vote of confidence from the National Assembly after his legal and democratic status was questioned by an important coalition partner.

Gohar was referring to the PPP, whose chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, on Monday said the clock was ticking on the PML-N led federal government. Although the PPP is not a part of the government, the coalition government is formed with its support. The PTI chief said the prime minister's failure to obtain a vote of confidence had left the government's structure "constitutionally, legally, morally and democratically collapsed."

"The Constitution provides a mechanism for moving a no-confidence motion, which requires the support of the requisite number of lawmakers. The PTI will hold consultations with allied parties on the matter," he added.

Calling for the present system to be dismantled, he demanded the formation of a national government and fresh general elections, saying the current administration had lost public confidence and should not continue to rule over the people. He said the existing political system needed to be "reset" as it no longer enjoyed the trust of the public.

He warned that rising political tensions could pose risks to the federation and the state, urging all relevant stakeholders to bring political forces to the negotiating table to resolve the country's issues.

Gohar clarified that PTI had held no contacts with the PPP or the JUI-F and that there had been no negotiations with any political party for a long time. "The PTI will launch a peaceful protest movement from August 5 (today) seeking the release of Imran Khan and Bushra Bibi. The campaign will continue until both are freed," he said.

On August 5, 2023, former prime minister and PTI founder Imran Khan was arrested in Lahore in connection with a gift repository case. He has been detained since.

Gohar claimed that since the creation of Pakistan, no political party leader had remained imprisoned continuously for three years, describing the PTI founder as the first political leader in the past two decades to have remained behind bars for such a long period.

Commenting on the Azad Jammu and Kashmir elections, Gohar said PTI had decided to boycott the polls after consulting the public. He claimed the people of Kashmir were not in the mood to vote and that the elections witnessed historically low voter turnout.