Imran says will never resign; big surprise ready for opposition

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday while rubbishing the notions, said he would never resign rather was about to give a big surprise to the opposition.

The prime minister, in an interaction with media men here, said he would stand victorious in the “no-confidence match” and the opposition would be shocked over the loss of their votes in support of the no-confidence motion.

To a question, the prime minister asked whether he should give up even before the fight under the pressure of “thieves” and that this could be someone’s misunderstanding about him.

He told the newsmen that the opposition parties had already shown their cards but the PTI would give them a big surprise.

He said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf was set to hold a historic gathering in Islamabad on March 27.

Calling the armed forces the “most precious asset” of the country said Pakistan would have been disintegrated into three parts had there been no army.

He said the Pakistan Army was inevitable for the country therefore no one should malign the institution for sake of politics.

Calling Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman a “twelfth player of the politics” he said the time for his exclusion from the team was nearing.

He said the objective of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples Party’s politics was just to conceal their own theft.   To a question, the prime minister confirmed to have met with former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan as he had 40-years old association with him.

The prime minister’s statement has come days before the initiation of proceedings on the joint opposition’s no-confidence motion filed against him in the NA earlier this month. The move by the opposition — primarily the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and PPP — followed days of political manoeuvring on the part of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI’s) and its opponents after PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman formally announced last month the plan to submit a no-trust motion against the premier.

Both sides stepped up efforts to gain the support of the PTI’s allies, whose votes are of significance in deciding the prime minister’s fate. Meanwhile, they also traded bards and there were allegations of horse-trading against the opposition and episodes of violence which opposition parties claimed were perpetrated on PTI leaders’ behest in a bid to keep dissident members from voting on the no-confidence resolution.

To show their strength, both sides also announced that they would hold power shows in the capital, with the PTI set to stage a public meeting in Parade Ground on March 27.

During his interaction with media persons today, PM Imran said his party’s rally would be a “historic gathering”.

‘Army should not be maligned for politics’

The premier said the country’s armed forces were its “most precious asset” and that Pakistan would have disintegrated into three parts had it not been for the army.

Underlining the significance of the military for the country, he stressed that “no one should malign the institution for the sake of politics.”

Speaking about the opposition parties, he called PDM chief Fazlur Rehman a “12th man” — a term used in cricket for a player who is not a part of the playing eleven but is used as a substitute if another player is injured or if drinks are needed to be carried.

Reman’s days “are numbered”, the prime minister predicted.

Criticising the PML-N and PPP, the premier said their politics was about “concealing their thefts”.

Quaid’s vision of welfare state

Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the incumbent government were committed to carry forward Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s vision for a just society and a sovereign welfare state.

“Today we commemorate the Resolution for the founding of a separate homeland for the Muslims of the subcontinent – our beloved homeland Pakistan,” the prime minister wrote on Twitter as the nation celebrated Pakistan Day.

Earlier, in his message to the nation on the Day, the prime minister stressed the need for adhering to the principles of Unity, Faith and Discipline given by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, and “rededicate ourselves to develop Pakistan as a truly democratic welfare state on the model of Riyasat-e-Madina.

He said his government had brought in long-term reforms and initiatives to alleviate poverty and promote justice.

“Our focus remains on the marginalized segments of the society and to provide them equal opportunities. Kamyab Pakistan Programme offers huge economic benefits for the youth, farmers, small-scale businesses and the low-cost housing sector. Our flagship initiative of Qaumi Sehat Card will provide universal health coverage to all citizens, which is unprecedented in the history of our country,” he added.