KARACHI: In what appeared to be a direct trouble to the opposition that submitted a no- confidence resolution against him in the National Assembly a day before, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday thundered that he’d been staying for this day, claiming confidently that the “ definite failure” of the move and recovering of congress’s confidence will help him “ snare the stealers by their necks” and go after them once this “ battle of jitters” is over.
Before in the day, Mr Khan paid his first- ever visit to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) headquarters in Bahadurabad since assuming office, where the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) supporter assured him of its full support.
In a blunt and aggressive address to PTI workers at Governor House then, the PM appeared confident about his chances of success in the wake of the no- confidence resolution, yet sounded vengeful and bitter at the leaders of the three major opposition parties — Asif Ali Zardari of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and chief of his own body of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman.
The PM used utmost of his over 20- nanosecond speech to hit out at opposition leaders and advised them what fate they would suffer after the no- confidence resolution failed. Each of his jibes entered sonorous applause from the followership. Sitting in the first three rows, the Sindh governor, civil ministers and lawmakers were among those caught by the cameras cheering for their leader alongside the crowd.
The first opposition leader to earn the wrath of Mr Khan was former chairman Zardari, whom he called his “ first target” once the no- confidence saga was over.
“ My prayers have been answered that they ( opposition parties) have submitted a no- trust resolution, which I frequently sought so I can snare them by their necks,” he remarked to a loud cheer from the crowd.
“ It’ll not only fail, but this time, the kaptaan ( pertaining to himself) has prepared a detailed plan for the future. And my first target will be Asif Ali Zardari who has been at the top of my megahit-list for a long time. He kills people, uses the police and mobsters. Zardari, your time is over!”
.
Mr Khan also contended that the PPP leader has been offering PTI MNAs Rs200 million each to side with the opposition. “ I’ve asked our MNAs to take the plutocrat he offers and contribute it to charity.”
Coming to be targeted was Mr Shehbaz. “ On the other hand, there’s a Maqsood chaprasi wala,” the PM said, pertaining to the National Assembly opposition leader through a worker in his sugar manufactories whose benami account was allegedly used for plutocrat laundering by the Sharif family.
“ He’s a showbaaz (showman), but, in fact, also a charge polisher (a reference to the PML-N chairman’s policy of conciliation towards the establishment). When the court process him he complains of reverse pain to avoid making an appearance. Also he makes an reason that he’s suffering from coronavirus. But your time is over! You’ll be in jail after three months. And the plutocrat your son and son-in- law have stockpiled overseas will be brought back to give relief to the people of Pakistan.”
The PM substantially kept mocking the JUI-F’s Maulana, pertaining to him as “ diesel” and “ Fazloo”. He conveyed a clear communication to the opposition leader about the graft cases against him and advised him against undermining the Public Responsibility Bureau (NAB).
“ Mr Diesel, get ready!” boasted PM Khan. “ He (the Maulana) has means worth billions of rupees and no bone knows their source because he does n’t do anything. When the NAB summoned him, he hovered he’d bring his workers on the roads; he hovered the organisation. But let me tell you Fazloo, formerly this no- confidence fails and NAB process you, I’ll bring a hundred thousand workers for your!”.
MQM-P, GDA meetings
Before, shortly after landing at the old outstation of Quaid-i-Azam International Airport in the autumn, PM Khan visited the MQM-P headquarters in Bahadurabad for the first time since getting the premier. He met the elderly party leadership and spent nearly an hour there before leaving for Governor House.
A brief statement from the PM House issued after the visit said all was well and the MQM resolved to support Mr Khan.
“ Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday held a meeting with the elderly leadership of MQM-P in Karachi, fastening on the evolving political situation,” it said. “ During the meeting, the MQM leadership assured full support to the high minister. The meeting concentrated on the overall political situation in the country.”
Still, the MQM leaders’ commerce with the media raised numerous questions about the docket of the meeting and the outgrowth.
“ Not a word about the no- confidence resolution was bandied by either side (in the meeting),” replied MQM’s Amir Khan to a question. “ He did n’t seek any support (for the resolution) neither did we offer any. We’ll take a decision in line with the interests of our people, party, megacity and testament. He’s an elected high minister and we bandied different issues with him with all due respect. We did n’t make any complaints in the meeting; our demands were formerly participated when we joined the coalition.”
The immediate impact of the meeting, still, was witnessed in Hyderabad where the MQM-P office was restarted after further than five times. The office at Bhai Khan Ki Chari was sealed in August 2016.
MQM sources, meanwhile, said the party convener Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was likely to meet former chairman Zardari in Islamabad on Thursday ( moment), suggesting the party hadn’t made up its mind yet about which side to be on over the no- confidence resolution.
Latterly, the PM also met leaders of another confederated party, the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA), and not important was participated with the media about the brief meeting.
“ Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday met with the leadership of GDA and bandied the overall political situation in the country. The meeting took place during the high minister’s day-long visit there. The GDA leaders who met the high minister included Arif Mustafa Jatoi, Husnain Ali Mirza, Moazzam Ali Khan, Muhammad Rafiq, Muhammad Shahryar Khan Mahr, Nand Kumar Goklani, Nasim Akhtar Rajpar and Nusrat Sahr Abbasi,” stated a short statement issued after the meeting.
When communicated, GDA leaders also avoided making any comment. One of them said “ nothing was decided about the no- confidence resolution”. It was a “ routine meeting” with the PM, which was arranged every time he visited Karachi as an supporter of the PTI in the Centre.
