Imran says won't resign, to play till last ball as 3 allies may ditch him

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Wednesday said he will not resign at any cost and claimed to have a 'surprise' up his sleeve for the Opposition, even as at least three allies of the ruling coalition have indicated to vote against his government during a no-trust motion which would come up for discussion in Parliament later this month.

"I will not resign under any circumstance. I will play till the last ball (...) and I will surprise them (opposition) a day before as they are still under pressure," Prime Minister Khan said, without revealing further details.

Talking to reporters in Islamabad, he said the Opposition has laid all of their cards, but the no-confidence motion against him would not be successful. "My trump card is that I have not laid any of my cards yet," he said confidently.

"No one should be under the false impression that I will sit at home. I will not resign, and why should I? Should I resign due to the pressure from thieves?" he said while referring to the opposition leaders' no-trust vote against him.

Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Pakistan Peoples' Party submitted the no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf government led by Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.

On Sunday, the National Assembly Secretariat issued a notification, paving the way for holding the key session on Friday.

Khan also said it was wrong to consistently attack and criticise the army as a powerful military was crucial for Pakistan. "Had the army not been here, the country would have split into three parts."

"The army should not be criticised for politicking," he said.

The prime minister also said his statement on neutrality was taken in the "wrong context".

"I said that in the context of preventing evil and asking people to do good."

Khan said he has good relations with the military to date.

The powerful army, which has ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 73 plus years of existence, has hitherto wielded considerable power in the matters of security and foreign policy.

Earlier this month, the powerful army distanced itself from the brewing political situation in the country, saying it has nothing to do with politics.

Meanwhile, at least three allies, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, the Pakistan Muslims League-Quaid and the Balochistan Awami Party with their 17 members have indicated to join the Opposition, Geo News reported.

Citing sources, it said that the MQM-P, the PML-Q and the BAP have decided to part ways ahead of the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Khan and an announcement would be made on March 25.

"They (MQM-P) will announce that they are with us in a day or two. After meeting the MQM-P leadership, I am completely satisfied that the no-confidence motion will be successful," the head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), Maulana Fazlur Rehman, told the media.

Khan, 69, is heading a coalition government and he can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides.

In the 342-member National Assembly, the Opposition needs 172 votes to remove Khan, the cricketer-turned-politician.

The PTI has 155 members in the House and needs at least 172 lawmakers on its side to remain in the government. The party has the support of 23 members belonging to at least six political parties.

The allies are not the only worry for Khan as he faced a revolt from within the PTI after about two dozen lawmakers recently announced to part ways and vote against him.

Though the government has been claiming that it has settled issues with the allies as well as the dissidents, Khan is not out of the woods as yet.

Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid on Wednesday said that voting on the no-trust motion against Khan would be held before the end of next week.

The National Assembly session summoned on March 25 would be adjourned after offering ‘fateha' (prayer) for a lawmaker who died some weeks ago, he told reporters outside the Prime Minister's House in Islamabad.

“As per tradition, the session will be adjourned after prayer for the welfare of the departed soul… But the speaker can fix any day between March 30 and April 1 for voting on the no-confidence motion,” Rashid said.

The minister announced that a planned rally by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on March 27 in Islamabad will decide who enjoys the real support of the masses.

“If they (Opposition) are confident of its success, so are we,” he said.

On Monday, the Khan government filed a petition in the Supreme Court seeking clarification on a constitutional point over disqualification of dissident lawmakers who have threatened to vote against him during the no-trust motion.

Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan submitted the move, also called a presidential reference, about interpretation of Article 63-A of the Constitution in the wake of nearly two dozen lawmakers of the ruling party threatening to vote in favour of the opposition's no-trust motion.

The article says that anyone voting against the directive of the party leader on key issues like no-trust move or money bill will be disqualified. The law is silent on the duration of disqualification, but Khan has threatened life-time disqualification for the dissidents.

A two-judge bench, comprising Pakistan Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and Justice Munib Akhtar, announced to form a larger five-member bench and adjourned the hearing till March 24.

Khan's party is trying to seek a ruling that an erring member's vote should not be counted, so that vote of its dissident lawmakers in the favour of the no-trust move should not add to the total number of votes against the prime minister.