ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has once again rejected the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)’s January 31st deadline given to Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign, saying the PTI government enjoys public mandate and it will never resign.

In a statement on Saturday in response to the PDM’s Friday meeting, Qureshi who is also vice chairman of PTI, said that the prime minister and his government will not resign on the PDM’s demand.

“Why is PDM waiting for January 31? Neither will we resign on their demand nor come under pressure to quit as we are enjoying public mandate,” he said, rejecting the PDM’s deadline.

He said that the prime minister has the confidence of the Parliament.

“Why would he resign at their [PDM] demand?...In fact, the PDM’s narrative has lost its credibility among the masses and its Friday’s meeting ended without any result,” Qureshi maintained.

According to him, the PDM only endorsed the decisions taken by the PPP Central Executive Committee with regard to participation in by-polls, adding that the opposition will also participate in the upcoming Senate elections.

In response to the opposition’s criticism over the institutions, Qureshi further stated that the state institutions have always fulfilled their constitutional and legal responsibilities.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2021