ISLAMABAD: Chairman of Pakistan Peoples Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in an interview to Al Jazeera News said that no one is against election and in fact “this was the whole reason that we brought the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan because the opposition believes that the 2018 elections were heavily compromised.”
He said that in order to go for free and fair elections we first have to remove Mr Khan and conduct the electoral reforms and then to have free and fair elections. What Khan has done is not only unconstitutional, it’s coup attempt. The constitution of Pakistan does have one legitimate means to remove the prime minister of Pakistan and that is no-confidence motion. Our constitution does not allow for them to not holding voting on the no-confidence motion. Our constitution does not allow the Speaker to prorogue the session as they have done. Our constitution does not allow the President of Pakistan to try and dissolve the Assembly while the no-confidence motion is pending. So, all he has done Sunday is not to force a free and fair elections but to force an unfair elections and to create a constitutional crisis and that is why I say that it is a coup attempt. We have challenged it in the Supreme Court and we have expectations from the Supreme Court.
According to the rules of the National Assembly of Pakistan after the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker, there is a panel of Chairman. On the panel of Speaker there was a former Speaker Ayaz Sadiq who once the Deputy Speaker left, took over the Chair and continued on the voting on the no-confidence motion. So, the united opposition showed the people of Pakistan and showed the world that 195 people voted in favour of our motion and against Imran Khan. In order to save himself from that defeat and embarrassment, Khan has run away from today’s no-confidence vote. In doing so he has broken the constitution.
Imran Khan defence and everything is in the kitchen sink. He started with corruption and ended up in foreign conspiracy and I am sure there will be add on in the list. The people of Pakistan know the facts. They know that in 2018 a grave injustice was committed to the people of Pakistan when our elections were rigged. No party enjoyed equal playing field.
The people of Pakistan are seeing for three years that the prime minister select conducted himself in an undemocratic manner. The people of Pakistan believe in democracy. The people of Pakistan want out of this crisis. This is a crisis of Imran Khan’s own making. The united opposition will work together and will not allow Imran to be successful and we will take people out of this crisis.
The term selected means exactly what it does. I think what is important to know is that the establishment and all institutions of Pakistan once this no-confidence motion came forth, they have taken a decision to be apolitical. Our constitution and our law demand that such institutions remain apolitical. This is a welcome decision just as I will stand up before you or the people of Pakistan I will condemn anyone violating the constitution. I will support and welcome those who support and work within the constitutional and legal framework. Thus far it has happened and Khan has complained this. Khan does not want free and fair elections; Mr Khan does not want democratic Pakistan. He wants Pakistan where he gets to rule by feat and he is supported undemocratically to continue his rule. The people of Pakistan will not allow him to do that.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022