As he faces a no-confidence vote, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has launched a stinging rebuke at the Pakistan Army’s upper echelons for remaining neutral. Addressing a public gathering at the Dir Scouts ground in the Balambat area of Lower Dir district on Friday, March 10, Imran Khan said that “Allah did not allow us to be neutral as ‘only animals are neutral’.”
The PM said that animals do not know the difference between good and evil. “Humans act in accordance with their consciences. Only animals remain agnostic,” he stated.
Ironically, when the no-confidence motion was passed against Imran Khan a few days ago, the PM expressed extreme confidence in the Army, claiming that the Pakistani Army is on his side and that his government will not fall. But now, Imran Khan is slamming the same Army for taking a neutral stance on the no-confidence motion passed against Imran Khan by 86 lawmakers in Pakistan, including members of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and others.
Imran Khan, in his public address, also went on to slam the three party leaders, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party co-chair Zardari, and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Rehman, who have joined forces to file a no-trust motion against him, citing the government’s inability to control inflation, which has harmed ordinary people.
He declared that he would bowl an inswing yorker against Opposition leaders Shehbaz Sharif, Asif Ali Zardari, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman and “take all three wickets” after the trio joined forces to file a no-confidence motion against him.
Imran referred to the opposition leaders as “three stooges,” recalling instances in the past when these leaders, according to him, had gone against Pakistan’s national interests.
“I am competing against these three dacoits and … I will take all three wickets with one inswing yorker,” the 69-year-old prime minister was quoted as saying by the Dawn newspaper.
“They tell me that they will topple my government if I don’t close corruption cases against them. But I tell them that I will not close the cases even if I have to give my life for it. I am not doing politics against you but fighting a jihad,” Khan said.
Opposition parties in Pakistan move a no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan
Notably, on March 8, a no-confidence motion was passed against Imran Khan amidst skyrocketing inflation and deteriorating economic conditions in the country. Prominent lawmakers including JUI-F’s Shahida Akhtar Ali, PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique, Marriyum Aurangzeb, Ayaz Sadiq, Rana Sanaullah, Khawaja Saad Rafique and PPP’s Naveed Qamar and Shazia Marri submitted the no-trust motion against the Prime Minister. The leaders called out for a session for the same in the National Assembly Secretariat.
To pass a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister it is required to have signatures of at least 20% of the leaders in the National assembly. While 86 lawmakers have already signed the document, the speaker is bound to call a session regarding the motion in which voting via open ballot will take place. With the Opposition claiming the support of 202 lawmakers, clouds have gathered over the fate of Imran Khan as a Prime Minister.
