ISLAMABAD: After the presence of nearly a dozen Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) lawmakers in the Sindh House came public knowledge on Thursday, Prime Minister Imran Khan directed National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to commence the sitting of the lower house on March 21 and take action against “ PTI’s possible betrayers”.
The decision was made in a meeting convened at the PM House, attended by Attorney General of Pakistan Khalid Javed Khan and the NA Speaker.
Meanwhile, PTI leaders claimed that some opposition MNAs were in close contact with the government and ready to advance their support to the storeroom benchers.
Still, opposition members and some indigenous experts were of the view that after the submission of no- confidence resolution against the high minister, the speaker — in his capacity as custodian of the house — shouldn’t be taking part in any meetings called by the PM.
In a press conference, PTI leaders called Sindh House “ the new Changa Manga” and claimed that plutocrat was being used to buy the commitment of PTI lawgivers.
Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry told Dawn that a decision to summon an NA session would be taken by the speaker, and not the high minister.
When asked about possible action against what he nominated‘PTI betrayers’, he said “ PM Khan has decided tode-seat them before advancing on the no- trust stir.”
He said the storeroom members presently in Sindh House had violated the Constitution and under Composition 63 of the Constitution, the leader of the party could take action against them.
“ PTI has initiated legal proceedings on the matter as per Composition 63 (A) (1), if a party leader comes to a conclusion that a member of his party has defected, he can move a reference for their disqualification,” Mr Chaudhry added.
In a common press conference with the information minister and Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said that PM Khan could also throw plutocrat at opposition lawgivers, but would not do so because he doesn’t stand for the “ politics of blackmailing and bribery”.
“ Imran Khan is in politics not for himself, but for the nation,” he added. He also claimed some opposition MNAs were also in close contact with the government.
“ We want to make it clear that we won’t do any deals and won’t expend ministries to stay in power. We’ll remain engaged with our abettors but there will be no wheeling and haggling,” said Mr Azhar.
Governor’s rule
Independently, on Thursday, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed started a new debate when he suggested that governor’s rule be assessed in Sindh on the grounds that‘ open steed-trading was underway at Sindh House”.
Talking to journalists, he said he’d advised the PM to do so because the Sindh government was “ buying and selling” lawgivers’ votes, which he said was a “ conspiracy against republic”.
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“ We aren’t transferring police to Sindh House because ( iconoclastic PTI lawgivers) went there because of their rapacity,” he said, adding that the matter was between the lawgivers and their electorate.
“ On February 25, 2009, on the recommendation of the also high minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, the also chairman Asif Ali Zardari under Article 237 of the Constitution assessed governor rule in Punjab against the government of Shehbaz Sharif. The governor rule has been assessed in Sindh fiefdom for three times until now,” Rashid latterly said in a series of tweets.
Still, maybe the minister misquoted the indigenous provision, as it’s Composition 234 of the Constitution that deals with the power to issue proclamation in case of failure of indigenous ministry in a fiefdom.
This composition empowers the chairman to “ assume to himself, or direct the governor of the fiefdom to assume on behalf of the chairman, all or any of the functions of the government of the fiefdom”, except the powers of the assembly, which are vested with the National Assembly.
Before in the day, while opining on reports about 12 MNAs from PTI were staying at Sindh House, the innards minister had said the nation would reject those who vend their heart.
He said members of the National Assembly had the right to cast votes in agreement with their heart and assured there will be no obstacles on the route leading to the National Assembly on the day of advancing on the no- trust stir.
The minister said the PM has directed press members to continue consultations with their abettors.
It’s worth noting that former chairman Asif Ali Zardari had assessed governor’s rule in Punjab two months, putting also-governor Salman Taseer in charge of the parochial set up.
The move was assessed shortly after the decision of Supreme Court disqualifying Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) principal Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif.
It was, still, lifted after little over a month amidst rising political pressures, as a step towards public conciliation.
