| Bilawal dares PM to impose Governor’s rule in province | Says ‘All of us will come to Islamabad and respond’ | Sindh Governor presses no hesitation for even a second once PM directs | Observes opposition busy in buying lawmakers, actions needed
By Uzma Zafar
ISLAMABAD: A day after Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed advised Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose governor’s rule in the province of Sindh, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday challenged the premier to impose the governor’s rule “if he had the courage”.
“Not tomorrow, impose it (governor rule) today. We will give you our response in Islamabad,” he said.
Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Imran Ismail said that he will not hesitate for even a second if PM Imran directed him to impose governor’s rule in the province.
Speaking to a ceremony in Karachi, he said that future generations will remember what is happening in the country today. “I have a meeting with the prime minister tomorrow. We will give them (opposition) a surprise that everyone will remember,” he added.
The governor said that the assembly members whose “conscience has awakened” should take their decision as per law, adding that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should also take notice of the situation.
“Dissident lawmakers bagged votes in Imran Khan’s name. ECP should take action against them instead of stopping the prime minister from going to Swat,” he remarked.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Ali Haider Zaidi taking to Twitter has said that if anyone tried to harm any of PTI’s parliamentarians in Sindh or attack their houses, we will directly hold Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal and Murad Ali Shah responsible for any harm or damage caused.
“Federal Govt has shown patience. Don’t act like rowdy children. Behave yourself,” he further wrote.
On Thursday, the nation’s security czar Sheikh Rashid advised PM Imran to impose governor’s rule in the province of Sindh after the open show of dissent by PTI lawmakers, hiding on the pretext of seeking refuge in Islamabad’s Sindh House ahead of the no-confidence vote against the prime minister.
The ongoing power game turned ugly for Prime Minister Imran Khan even before the voting on the no-confidence motion as around two dozen disgruntled MNAs of the ruling PTI came out in the open on Thursday.
Taking refuge at the Sindh House in the federal capital, several of them gave interviews to different anchorpersons, saying they had parted ways with the ruling party and would not contest the next elections on a PTI ticket.
The interviews of the dissenting members and footage running on TV channels showing them present at Sindh House came at a time when the opposition parties, including the ruling party in Sindh, have been attempting to oust the PTI government through a no-trust motion.
Before the situation unfolded, PPP leaders said the government was planning to attack Sindh House on the grounds that the opposition had detained some ruling party lawmakers there ahead of the vote on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.
Prior to that, PML-Q leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi said in an interview that around 10 to 12 government lawmakers were in “safe custody” of the opposition.
