As the joint opposition's no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan enters the final stretch, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam--Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman welcomed PTI MPA from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Liaquat Khattak and his son Abdul Ahad Khattak into their fold.

“The prime minister says that no-confidence move is a foreign agenda against him, but the reality is that the premier has come to power through foreign aid,” said the Pakistan Democratic Movement chief while addressing a press conference on Thursday where he also introduced its latest members.

Liaquat Khattak is the brother of Defence Minsiter Pervez Khattak. His son, Abdul Ahad had joined the Pakistan Peoples Party ahead of the first phase of local bodies election in KP late last year.

During his fiery press conference, the PDM chief said that PM Imran went to the US to meet then President Donald Trump despite not being invited. "On his return to the country, he said he was over the moon as if he had won a cup. This showed you were his [Trump’s] agent," he adde.

Rehman claimed that the prime minister received funds from abroad, including from the US and India, on the back of which he came to power.

“Now, you [the prime minister] say that the no-confidence motion is a foreign agenda against you [the premier]. The foreign actors supported you to become the chief executive of the country. Now that your [the premier’s] ship is sinking, you blame the events on a foreign scheme.”

Talking about the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) flagship programme, Rehman accused the prime minister of destroying the projects that are under construction in the country under CPEC. He added that Imran's mishandling angered the Chinese leadership resulting in its President Xi Jinping not speaking to PM Imran while he was in Beijing to attend the inauguration of the Winter Olympics.

“You [the prime minister] have destroyed the CPEC projects on the directions of the US and this is the worst kind of hostility you have done with the country,” he added.

The PDM chief also lambasted the premier for railroading the SBP Amendment Act 2021 through parliament, claiming that authorized the International Monetary Fund to operate the economy as well as the State Bank of Pakistan.

"IMF decides the federal budget and the international lender is responsible for the rampant inflation across the country. The SBP is no longer accountable to the federal government or the cabinet. It is answerable only to the IMF," he added.

“You [PM Imran] have made this the condition of Pakistan’s economy and now you [the prime minister] abuse the opposition for the mess you [the premier] have created.”

In a dire warning, he said that the same fate awaits PM Imran that happened with Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, who had also relied on foreign aid to run the affairs of the country.

The JUI-F chief asked the prime minister not to threaten opposition leaders and mentioned the derogatory remarks used by the premier in his address to a public gathering in Karachi. “His [the prime minister’s] language was similar to that of a rogue who uses abusive language.

“With this kind of character, the prime minister is trying to stain the characters of the leaders of the opposition who are respectable.”

He also reminded the prime minister of the promises that he made at the time of assuming office. "Have you done any thing to reduce the rate of inflation in the country?"

He also mocked PM Imran over his promise to create 10 million jobs, pointing out that unemployment was creating hopelessness among the country's youth.

He pointed out that the prime minister was unable to recite Durood Shareef or say the name of Holy Prophet (Peace be upon Him) properly and yet he claimed to establish “Riyasat-e-Madina” in the country. “We know the politics of this country and we have struggled against dictators as well,” he added.

For the very first day, the opposition had not accepted the PTI government when the party came to rule the country through “rigging”, said the PDM chief, claiming now the ruling party members would be part of the no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

He wondered why the Election Commission of Pakistan was delaying the decision in the foreign funding case against the ruling party.

The PDM chief added that those who "selected Imran Khan are also disappointed with his performance".