ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed said that he has recommended Prime Minister Imran Khan to impose Governor’s rule in Sindh.
Talking to the media in Islamabad, the minister said that the “buying and selling” of lawmakers’ votes by the opposition is a “conspiracy against democracy”. While ruling out sending police to the Sindh House, he said the dissident PTI lawmakers went because of their greed for money and the matter was between them and their constituents.
The interior minister said the session of the National Assembly could be called on March 21 while the government has announced holidays in the capital on March 21, 22 and 23 in view of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit. “There will be a sea of people on the 27th,” he said, referring to the PTI’s planned rally at Islamabad’s D-Chowk.
Later in a tweet, Sheikh Rashid, “On February 25, 2009, on the recommendation of the then Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, under Article 237 of the Constitution, President Asif Ali Zardari imposed a two-month governorship against the government of Shehbaz Sharif.”
“To date, three governors rule in Sindh province. There is no other solution in Sindh without Governor Raj because the Sindh government is openly violating the constitution by horse trading, Blackmailers and vote sellers no longer deserve any concessions. Prime Minister Imran Khan will now have to rule Sindh,” he said.
Earlier today, at least five dissident MNAs from the ruling PTI, who are staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad, came out in the open, with Raja Riaz and Malik Nawab Sher Waseer saying they would vote on the no-confidence motion tabled against the prime minister
Sheikh Rashid had earlier suggested that matters related to the political confrontation between the government and the Opposition shouldn’t be escalated further, otherwise, all efforts to strengthen democracy will be in vain.
He went on to criticise PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif, saying that “he has revealed his true face by talking about forming a national government”. Rashid further said that the MNAs have the right to vote for or against the government and “no one will face any obstacles in the National Assembly.”
He said that “people who sell themselves for the sake of their benefit will never succeed.” The minister also said that he is standing beside Imran Khan and hopes to see all allies supporting the government on the day of the no-confidence motion.
