LAHORE
Having long exhorted National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervez Ashraf to accept the resignations submitted by their lawmakers enmasse, former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Monday announced a major U-turn, stating that they could go back to the lower house of parliament.
He said this in talks with senior journalists at his mansion in Zaman Park in Lahore. Imran, who has already overseen the dissolution of the Punjab Assembly but has dithered on dissolving the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa assembly, said that they have now planned to give Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif a ‘tough time’.
Further he said that to bring in an interim set up after discussions with the treasury benches, they could go back to the national assembly. “If we do not go back to the assembly, they will form an interim setup after discussing the matter with Raja Riaz,” Imran suggested. “We are planning a return to the national assembly.”
The PTI had resigned enmasse from the national assembly after a vote of no confidence against their party chief Imran Khan proved successful in April 2022. In the event there is a run-off election for the prime minister’s seat, he said that they will take decisions as per the evolving situation then.
He added that some members from the PML-N are in contact with the PTI, but that they will only allow these members to join after subjecting them to a ‘test’. He did not define what this test would entail.
“Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNAs are in touch, Imran said while talking to senior journalists. “We will test them before letting them join us.” He said he might return to the National Assembly as a caretaker. “The Bajwa doctrine is still functional,” he said.
With regards to elections, he said that he sees polls taking place in April. However, he claimed that the PDM leaders are very much upset, saying: “Ishaq Dar was supposed to increase petrol but did not.”
Responding to a question on the offer of merger of the PTI and the PML-Q, he said the PML-Q could shine in future with the PTI. “If the PML-Q merges with the PTI, it will stay successful,” he added.
“The future of PML-Q is with the PTI. The PML-Q will win the poll if it contests with a bat election symbol. Reports suggest that Imran Khan approved the strategy of giving a ‘tough time’ to the ruling coalition.
Imran Khan okayed the plan asking PM Shehbaz to seek a vote of confidence. A couple of days ago, the MQM-P threatened to quit the coalition government. Also, Imran Khan ordered the party to start the process of approval of tickets for general elections and sought names of strong candidates
