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ISLAMABAD: Defence Minister Pervez Khattak has warned the opposition against breaching the agreement under which the ongoing protest was allowed.
Addressing the press in Islamabad alongside other members of the committee, Pervez Khattak said that action will be taken against the protesters if the agreement was contravened.
Khattak said the Islamabad administration was open to talks with the opposition but re-election or the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan is out of the question.
“We have told them that there will be no discussion about the resignation of the prime minister; don’t even think about it,” said Khattak.
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The PTI leader said the opposition’s Rehbar Committee had agreed to stage their sit-in at H-9, Peshawar Mor in Islamabad.
“We feel decepted over yesterday’s speeches,” he said, adding that on one hand the opposition parties were signing agreements and on the other, they were talking about seize government properties.
“We are in touch with all political parties, including the JUI-F,” he said, adding that the committee hoped the protesting parties will honor their comittment, “otherwise administrative actions will be taken”.
“If they breach [the agreement] then it would be an infringment of their own agreed accord. In that case no one should blame the administration,” he added.
Khattak reminded the protesting parties that the consequences will be on them if they fail to abide by the agreed terms.
He also called out the opposition parties for condemning “institutions”.
In the history of Pakistan, this is for the first time that the institution has been “neutral” because of which the PML-N faced a defeat in the elections, said Khattak commenting over a statement of Shahbaz Sharif
“We our institutions for playing a neutral role,” said Khattak.
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He also said that the opposition parties had no demand or issue except for pursuing a single demand of the prime minister’s resignation.
The PM cannot be sent packing after 34 to 40 thousand people take to streets and demand his resignation, he said.
“Democracy can’t survive in Pakistan in this way,” he added.
He reiterated his warning that institutions will take action if the opposition parties violate it. He added that in such scenario, the government will not be able to intervene [to halt institutions]. “Our doors are open … we are ready for talks but if we are forced [then the opposition should realise that] Prime Minister, I or ministers alone are not the government. Our government is all institutions and they have signed agreement with institutions,” said Khattak
Pakistan Army’s Role
Replying to a question about the Army’s support to the government, he said that the ISPR had already announced yesterday that the army supports Constitutional governments.
“The army is not a separate institution, why do you take it a separate thing. The army is a part of the government. Administration, army, bureaucracy and parliament, they all work like a team. The two make the government,” he said.
Former PTI leader Asad Umar, who also attended the press conference, intervened and said, What can be the most sensitive issue for the army — the foreign policy.
“They [the PML-N leaders] had invited Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to their home in a private party but the army had no reservations about it. So I want to table a question for PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif. Had the army restrained them from establishing schools, or hospital or reforming police, or judiciary. Please reveal the details about what the army had refrained them from?”
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