Opposition deliberating on tabling no-trust motion against PM Imran: PML-N

LAHORE: PML-N Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb on Friday asserted that the opposition parties were deliberating on tabling a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, adding that the nation would hear good news “soon”.

“An important meeting of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was scheduled for later today where key decisions regarding a no-trust move will be taken,” the PML-N leader said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad.

The remarks from the PML-N spokesperson come a day after party Vice President Maryam Nawaz said the situation for tabling a no-confidence motion against PM Imran was now “favourable”.

Talking to journalists today, Maryam admitted that Nawaz was initially not in favour of a no-confidence move against the government. However, she said, “party members pressed him that people’s wishes ought to be listened to as it is the only way to steer the country out of crisis.”

Aurangzeb also commented on the awards distributed by the premier among the best performing federal ministries. She said the ceremony showed that ministries that were mandated to provide relief to the masses had “failed miserably”.

“Ministries including health, defence, foreign affairs, economy and law have all failed,” she added. The PML-N spokesperson also lashed out at the prime minister for allegedly using state machinery to put party President Shehbaz Sharif behind bars.

She said that PM Imran had recently appointed a new head of the Asset Recovery Unit, previously headed by former aide Mirza Shahzad Akbar, and tasked him with imprisoning Shehbaz within a few weeks.

“I want to tell the Federal Investigation Agency officers and other law enforcement personnel to learn from Shahzad Akbar’s case and listen to their conscience,” she said, referring to the controversy around Akbar’s resignation.

She said billions of rupees had been squandered in the name of the government’s anti-corruption drive which had yielded no results. “Had this amount been spent on the welfare of the masses, the people would not be suffering due to inflation,” she said.

Aurangzeb said the entire narrative of the PTI government regarding corruption had been exposed, predicting that it would result in more embarrassment for the prime minister in the future.