Islamabad: Maryam Nawaz, Vice President of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has said the time for giving Prime Minister Imran Khan the “final push” towards his defeat has come, Geo News reported.
While addressing a ‘jalsa’ (gathering) of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in Islamabad on Monday, Maryam launched a scathing attack on the Prime Minister, in which she criticised his economic, governance, and foreign policies.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif tabled the no-confidence motion against Khan in the lower house — making him the third Prime Minister in Pakistan’s history to face the move.
The government seems to be cornered as two allies, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Jamhoori Wattan Party (JWP), have parted ways with it, while PML-Q’s Tariq Bashir Cheema has also announced that he will not vote in favour of the Prime Minister.
In her address on Monday, Maryam said the opposition’s rally in Islamabad has been held to say “goodbye” to the premier as he had not only lost the confidence of the National Assembly but that of his party as well.
“Today, under the leadership of Maulana Fazlur Rehman, we are here to bid you farewell,” the PML-N Vice President said, adding: “The person who starts his morning with abusive words ultimately faces a humiliating end.”
She said Khan was an “ungrateful” person as he used his party members to save his “sinking ship”, Geo News reported.
Maryam said the premier, instead of stepping down from office, sacrificed Usman Buzdar, forcing him to resign from his position as the Chief Minister of Punjab province.
Earlier on Monday, a PML-Q delegation had met Khan at his official residence Bani Gala, where the latter offered Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi the Punjab Chief Minister’s office.
The PML-Q leader accepted the offer, and the party is expected to back the Prime Minister in the no-confidence motion, but Cheema’s vote hangs in the balance due to his reservations.
“There is no one more ungrateful than Imran Khan,” Maryam said, adding that he “utilised” disgruntled PTI leaders Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan’s money to his advantage.
–IANS