Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday claimed that party Chairman Imran Khan will get up to 185 votes in his election for the slot of prime minister on August 17, saying it has secured a comfortable position in the National Assembly exceeding the figure of 172 required for making a simple majority.
Talking to reporters outside the Parliament House, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi also claimed the "unnatural" alliance between Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) will "die its natural death."
"It is an unnatural alliance and the cracks have already been emerged in it and soon it would die its natural death," he said, adding that he had also predicted earlier that the duo cannot move together. Qureshi was referring to the PPP's reservations over the nomination of Shahbaz Sharif by PML-N for the prime minister's slot.
He maintained that PPP has expressed reservation on Shahbaz Sharif's candidature for the election of Prime Minister. "I hope PML-N would consider PPP's reservations," he said. Qureshi anticipated more differences in coming days among the opposition ranks, saying: "Given my political experience, I predict more differences between PPP and PML-N in coming days on many issues."
He also thanked the PTI allies for ensuring support to the party candidates for the office of the speaker and deputy speaker of National Assembly. "They have reposed confidence in leadership of Imran Khan," he added. To a question, Qureshi said that PTI gives importance to all federating units, adding that Parliament would be strong only when all parties play their role in strengthening of democracy. He said that PTI government would take all the political parties together for the betterment of the country.
Talking to media persons after PTI won both the slots of the speaker and deputy speaker National Assembly, the party spokesman Fawad Chaudhry claimed that PTI has secured a more comfortable position in the Lower House of the Parliament.
"We are expecting that PTI Chairman Imran Khan would secure up to 185 votes in the election for the Prime Minister's slot which is reflection of the fact that we have exceeded the number of 172 required for simple majority," he maintained.
He said that out of the total 330 votes, PTI candidates for the office of the Speaker Asad Qaiser secured 176 votes and the eight rejected votes were also of the PTI's candidate while its candidate for the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri got 183 votes.
Referring to the PML-N protest inside the House, he said: "The way PML-N attacked accountability court today, the party lawmakers also tried to disrupt the environment of the House through the sloganeering." He also maintained that PML-N was not clear in its demand for probe into the rigging allegations, saying that Imran Khan had already stated that all the allegations of the rigging would be probed. "But the question is why you are not identifying any constituency where you believe the rigging took place," he said.
He further maintained that the opposition parties are demanding to end corruption cases against their leadership. "This does not come under our mandate to end the corruption cases against them. Nawaz Sharif is facing corruption cases in the accountability court while Asif Zardari's cases are being dealt by the Supreme Court, FIA and NAB," he added.
"They have to bring the looted money back to country first and then they can raise voice for his [Nawaz Sharif] release and an end to the cases against them," he added. To a question, Chaudhry expressed satisfaction on "overall attitude" of PML-N, adding that PPP is an important party. "We want to take all the political parties together," he added.
Talking separately to reporters, PTI lawmaker and former chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Pervez Khattak said that so far no decision has been made about his portfolio in the federal cabinet. "I will accept whatsoever ministry is given to me. We have our core committee which takes decisions and of course any decision taken by Imran Khan would be acceptable to all," he added.
In a separate media talk, PTI's MNA Yasmin Rashid said that all the decisions made by Imran Khan would be acceptable to all party lawmakers. "The authority to decide lies with Khan Sahib." "Whatever he has decided so far has been good. The speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly are from smaller provinces and this thing indicates that he gives respect to the smaller provinces," she said. She said that the PTI government will bring "change" across the country the way it was brought in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Talking to media persons separately, AML President Sheikh Rashid Ahmad predicted that PPP and PML-N will soon part their ways. He said that Shahbaz Sharif-led PML-N is part of the democratic process. He also predicted tough accountability, adding that tough laws would be made to ensure across the board accountability.
He said that he would accept whatsoever ministry he is given by Imran Khan.
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