Show 172 votes or 'go home', Zardari challenges Pakistan PM ahead of no-confidence vote
Mar 19, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 19 : Pakistan Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has challenged Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan to either prove that he has the support of the majority in the National Assembly or else "go home".
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Zardari has in his message to the cricketer-turned- Prime Minister Imran Khan said "At this stage, don't do ball-tampering. Show 172 votes or go back home," tweeted the Pakistani correspondent for the New York Times, Salman Masood.
Zardari stated that the Opposition would not be "cowed down" by the attacks on them. The Opposition is seeking to oust Khan in a vote that could come as soon as this month.
Several of Khan's lawmakers have withdrawn their support to him ahead of the crucial no confidence vote.
Earlier, the Pakistani PM had attacked Opposition by using police to barge into Parliament Lodges and make arrests and subsequently workers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers attacked the Sindh House in Islamabad in an attempt to terrorise the opposition leaders.
The workers were angry against the dissident members who were staying inside the building. The PPP chairperson stated that the Pakistani PM violated Article 6 of the Constitution by using force.
The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8. While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan.
The resolution needs to be passed by 172 MNAs and the Opposition faces the tough task to bring that number not only in the National Assembly but also ensuring that they remain inside the Assembly hall during the voting time.
Notably, if Imran Khan is voted out through the motion, it would create history as a vote of no-confidence has never been carried against the prime minister in Pakistan.