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ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday asserted that he had told Prime Minister Imran Khan that “mass resignations” were the “last option” left for the government.
The minister’s remarks came a day after the Supreme Court set aside National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s April 3 ruling which dismissed the no-trust resolution against the premier and the subsequent dissolution of the NA.
Talking to journalists in Islamabad, the Interior Minister claimed that he had advised Prime Minister Imran Khan to resign from office three months ago, and would advise him to do the same today too.
Rashid said “a wave of disappointment has taken over the nation after the decision”. He said that the sentiment among the people was that a conspiracy was underway to bring those involved in corruption to power.
“However, if someone believes that we are laying down our weapons, have no misconceptions,” he said, adding: “We will fight till our last breath against these thugs, robbers and looters,” referring to the opposition.
Rashid claimed that “external powers” wanted to take Pakistan’s independence away and that temporary victory was not the real goal as everyone had now been “exposed”. He was referring to PM Imran’s claim that foreign powers were backing the opposition’s no-trust motion against him.
“I was right in saying that we should resign and hold new elections. I was right when I said impose an emergency and I was right when I said to impose governor’s rule. And I say this today as well that we all should resign together and expose the opposition’s real faces to the nation,” he added.
He went on to say that in this case — seemingly an allusion to events that unfolded following the submission of the no-trust motion against PM Imran — “all forces have been exposed”.
The 5-0 ruling ordered parliament to reconvene on Saturday (tomorrow), no later than 10:30 am, saying that the session could not be prorogued without the conclusion of the no-trust motion against PM Imran.
“It is declared that the resolution was pending and subsisting at all times and continues to so remain pending and subsisting.”
