No-confidence motion to give 'fatal blow' to opposition: Fawad

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Fawad Chaudhry said on Monday that the looming failure of the no-confidence motion would prove a "fatal blow" to the opposition, adding that Prime Minister Imran Khan's opponents were hatching conspiracies against a democratically elected government, reported APP.

“All the cards are with us and we will decide what might be the next move and whatever the next move should be. I assure you that it will be the last game of these ‘three jokers’ who will simply vanish from the political scene after the failure of the no-trust motion,” he said while addressing a news conference after attending a meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) core committee.

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Flanked by PTI’s Additional Secretary-General, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, he said the opposition will regret its no-trust move as Prime Minister Imran Khan had devised a comprehensive strategy to foil it.

The entire party stands by PM Imran, said Fawad, expressing optimism that the ruling party's allies, including Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid will remain part of the government.

Sharing details of the core committee meeting with media, he said the entire party including leadership and parliamentarians had reposed full confidence in the prime minister and resolved that only he could lead the country in these critical times.

The minister said the core committee had not only rejected the opposition’s bid to revive the horse-trading culture but also condemned their tactics of offering millions of rupees to the PTI’s legislators for shifting their loyalties in case of the no-trust motion.

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Fawad said those, who offered bribes to the PTI’s legislators, did not dare to repeat the practice after it was brought into the knowledge of the ruling party’s leadership.

He said most of the core committee members called for an early session of the National Assembly, adding that the NA speaker had the power to convene it.

The minister said that March 21, 22, and 23 were of sheer importance, as the meeting of foreign ministers of members’ states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was taking place in Pakistan. "It was suggested that the session should not coincide with the event."

He said the huge crowd at recent public meetings of the prime minister had once again proved that not only the PTI was a federal party, but PM Imran was the national leader.

"By seeing such a huge crowd in the public meetings of the prime minister, the opposition parties’ leaders were trembling," he added.

He said PM Imran held unprecedented public gatherings in different cities including Mailsi, Mandi Bahauddin, Hafizabad, and Lower Dir. "The next one would be in Swat and the mother of all Jalsas at D-Chowk Islamabad was also around the corner," he added.

Taking a dig at Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for illegally spending resources of the Sindh government, Fawad said his “short march” got a lukewarm response from Punjab.

“Those who want to compete with us should first see where the public stands,” he said.

He said that the PTI government's initiatives, including the health card, reforms in the industrial sector, low-cost houses, dams, and others had put the country on the path of progress.

He accused the opposition leaders of orchestrating a campaign against the premier.

Fawad said the country had an independent foreign policy after a long hiatus. "There would be no compromise on Pakistan’s sovereignty," he added.

He ruled out any National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) like-concession to the opposition leaders, saying PM Imran would not bow to their tactics.