As political tensions reach fever pitch ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the government and opposition alike try to woo Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's estranged leaders and allies, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that members of National Assembly (MNAs) of the PTI are bound to support the premier in line with the affidavit they had signed.
"The government has full confidence in its allies, including the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan, Grand Democratic Alliance and Balochistan Awami Party, who have always stood by it in testing times during the last four years and I am grateful to them," the foreign minister said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Monday.
Qureshi said the opposition leaders would be unsuccessful in convincing government allies to support the no-confidence motion as the latter knew the tactics employed by the former. However, he admitted that government allies are within their right to meet the opposition leadership.
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He referred to Pakistan People's Party Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari's press conference on Sunday in which he urged the chief justice and the chief election commissioner to intervene in the no-trust move as the PPP leader claimed that the prime minister was trying to rig the no-confidence motion.
"Dragging institutions in political affairs is not suitable. The government will face the no-confidence motion politically and democratically against the prime minister and they will defeat it," the foreign minister said, adding neither the government had to involve any institution in the matter nor it would blame anyone over it.
The foreign minister also repeated the accusations that the PPP is trying to buy votes for the no-confidence motion by offering ludicrous amounts to the PTI MNAs. "Bilawal and Asif Ali Zardari are responsible for subverting the institution as this is non-democratic,"" he said, addind that some lawmakers of the ruling party have been offered money in return for support.
Qureshi labelled the united opposition leaders which included the PPP's Zardari, Pakistani Muslim League-Nawaz Shehbaz Sharif and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam--Fazl's Maulana Fazl ur Rehman a "marriage of convenience" and an "unholy alliance".
The three major parties of the opposition have no common ideology and the alliance will be shattered in no time, he predicted. "Leaderships of these parties are different and members of each party look towards their respective leaders instead of the other parties."
He went on that the manifesto of the three parties were also different. However, they had the same objective to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan from. "They fear the determination of the Imran Khan."
Raising questions on the opposition's political moves, the foreign minister asked: "Is this uncertainty benefitting Pakistan or its economy in any way?"
