ISLAMABAD: Amid no-trust hype, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Monday once again dared the opposition to proceed with its planned no confidence motion, saying his party is fully prepared to thwart the move.

While chairing a meeting of an all-important parliamentary committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) amid back to back meetings of the opposition to oust him, he said that he is ready to face the challenge.

“Let them [the opposition] proceed with their wish to bring a no-confidence motion but they must know we are fully prepared to give them a humiliating defeat,” the prime minister was quoted as telling the meeting.

Referring to the graft cases of the opposition politicians in different courts, the prime minister said that those who fear their trials cannot bring revolution with the money that they have illegally acquired.

“We will foil the agenda of the thieves and bandits. This is my firm belief and I’ll fight to the end. Just don’t worry…let them [the opposition] come and we will see them,” he maintained.

The meeting was also given a briefing about the estranged PTI group led by Jahangir Khan Tareen which has now been joined by ex-provincial minister of PTI Aleem Khan.

The source said that the prime minister tasked Governor Sindh Imran Ismail to woo Aleem Khan, saying “this is not the time to raise such objections”.

Shortly after getting instructions from the prime minister, the governor reached Lahore and a meeting between the duo is expected, as Aleem Khan has warned not to settle unless Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar is shown the door given “extremely poor” performance in the province.

Some of the senior party leaders, according to sources also suggested the prime minister to personally speak to both Tareen and Aleem Khan, about which he did not say anything.

“Some senior party leaders have suggested the prime minister to speak to both of them [Tareen and Aleem Khan…I’m sure Aleem Khan will definitely listen to him as Tareen is already onboard after the prime minister inquired after his health recently,” said a senior PTI leader who declined to be named.

The meeting of the Tareen group comes as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of opposition parties, is in the process of finalising a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, claiming to have the support of enough lawmakers in the parliament to make the ouster a success.

Talking to journalists after the core committee meeting, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said that the government is not perturbed by the sudden political activity in Lahore.

He asserted that Tareen and Aleem Khan are still an integral part of the ruling PTI, and their contribution to the party is not hidden from us all.

“They are a part of our party…internal politics within a party is a common occurrence and that’s it,” he maintained.

The prime minister who is also chairman PTI, also tasked PTI Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa president Pervez Khattak to meet the estranged party lawmakers from KP and Balochistan.

Meanwhile, sources said that PM Khan decided to table the bill for the formation of the South Punjab province in the National Assembly soon.

The meeting was also briefed about the upcoming local government elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022