Islamabad
\nFormer president and PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday that the coalition government had decided to table no-confidence motions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies.
\nThe statement comes days after PTI chairman Imran Khan announced plans to \u201cquit the corrupt system and leave all the assemblies\u201d. However, the PTI has yet to announce a date for the dissolution of assemblies in Punjab and KP, where the PTI is in power.
\nIn an interview with journalist Asma Shirazi on Aaj TV programme \u2018Faisla Aap Ka\u2019, Zardari ruled out snap polls saying that it won\u2019t \u201csuit us or democracy\u201d.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s too immature and too soon to say anything about the elections. I don\u2019t think there is a possibility of the establishment forcing early elections,\u201d he said.
\nHowever, at the same time, he asserted that the coalition parties would contest the polls if the PTI succeeded in dissolving the provincial assemblies. \u201cI will see how many MPAs Imran is able to get.\u201d
\nIn response to a question about the tabling of no-confidence motions, Zardari said: \u201cGod willing.\u201d
\nHe went on to say that the motions would be submitted \u201ceverywhere\u201d.
\n\u201cEven in KP. We have seats [there]. There are some friends who have gone astray [\u2026] we have to bring them back. We will bring a way in which they won\u2019t have to resign.\u201d
\nZardari claimed that he had numbers in Punjab which were sufficient to throw out the PTI government.
\nWhen asked if Punjab Chief Minister Pervez Elahi could be reached out to again, the PPP chairman said that there was a distance between the two of them.
\n\u201cI made Elahi deputy prime minister and gave them 17 ministries. This time they opted out themselves. We have bigger choices than them now.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2018New army chief appointed on institution\u2019s choice\u2019
\nIn response to a question on the appointment of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Asim Munir, Zardari said that the new army chief came on the institution\u2019s choice.
\n\u201cI told PM Shehbaz to use his constitutional right. I told him we are your allies [\u2026] we give you authority to use your constitutional power. Shehbaz is a good man, he could have not called us and selected the COAS.\u201d
\nThe former president said that there may be some things that coalition leaders differed on but promised that it won\u2019t dent their alliance because \u201ceverything is irrelevant, only Pakistan is relevant\u201d.
\nHe went on to say that he didn\u2019t personally know Gen Munir. \u201cHe was the first person on the list [sent to the Prime Minister House]. And as per seniority, he was selected.\u201d
\nZardari said that former army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa never approached him for an extension.
\n\u201cHe might have said it to the prime minister. I wanted to lobby for Gen Aamer, who was sixth on the list, but I could not because the situation was not good.\u201d
\nTalking about the institutions\u2019 decision to stay apolitical, he said that \u201cthe army has walked ahead by staying apolitical\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u2018Can defeat Imran in any constituency\u2019
\nDuring the interview on Thursday, Zardari claimed that he could defeat PTI chairman Imran Khan from any constituency \u201cexcept for Mianwali where the Nawab of Kalabagh will stand against him\u201d.
\n\u201cIf I get myself shot and gather 25,000 people, where is the popularity in this? He lost against me by 21,000 votes in Sindh. We can fight him politically.\u201d
\nHe alleged that Imran was \u201cmaking full payments\u201d and promised to hold him accountable.
\nThe former president also said that the government didn\u2019t try to implicate Imran in any case. \u201cIf he has to be held accountable, NAB (National Accountability Bureau) will do it. If he did sell the watch then a case would be lodged against him automatically.\u201d
\nHe, however, stated that he wasn\u2019t aware of any of Imran\u2019s wrongdoings.
\n\u201cImran\u2019s game was bigger and is still bigger. His game is not based in Pakistan. It\u2019s based somewhere else,\u201d Zardari claimed.
\nIn response to a question on whether he could reach an understanding with Imran, the former president said he could not \u201crun after a man who keeps barking\u201d.
\n\u201cAnd even if it has to happen, the executive will do it, not me,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Islamabad Former president and PPP chairman Asif Ali Zardari said on Thursday that the coalition government had decided to table no-confidence motions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab assemblies. The statement comes days after PTI chairman Imran Khan announced plans to \u201cquit the corrupt system and leave all the assemblies\u201d. However, the PTI has yet […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":298702,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[449,11683,344,11685,232],"class_list":["post-298692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-top-news","tag-asif-ali-zardari","tag-assembly","tag-kp","tag-no-confidence-motions","tag-punjab"],"yoast_head":"\n