Terms PA Dy Speaker ruling against Constitution’
Former prime minister and PTI Chairman Imran Khan has urged people to hold peaceful protests across the country against the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker ruling to discard the votes of PML-Q lawmakers in the chief minister election.
“We knew since yesterday that Asif Ali Zardari was playing some game in Lahore and using money to buy the loyalties of the lawmakers,” he said while addressing the party supporters via video link on Friday.
The ousted premier also alleged that “conscious trader Asif Zardari” had been using stolen wealth to manage the Punjab CM election in favour of PML-N leader Hamza Shehbaz.
The former premier said PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat did not have any authority to issue instructions to his party members, saying as per the law it was the party’s parliamentary head prerogative.
“This ‘shameless speaker’ [Dost Mohammad Mazari] rejected the votes of PML-Q… they are making a mockery of the democracy because their billions of rupees are at stake.”
Imran said the PML-Q lawmakers voted in line with the instructions issued by the party parliamentary head, saying all “eyes are now on the Supreme Court”.
“It’s been clearly mentioned in Article 63-A that parliamentary head has the authority to issue directions to the party members.”
He went on to say, “I am surprised to see what happened in the Punjab Assembly today, everyone should come out of their homes and register their protest tonight,” he said, adding that the demonstration will send a message that the people of the country are politically conscious and well-informed.
“Chaudhry Shujaat’s letter has no importance because the decision is taken by the parliamentary leader.”
The PTI chief said he was expecting that the “mafia” would go to any extent to cling to power as their billions of rupees were at stake. “They are not politicians but a mafia who have nothing to do with the people of the country and they are in power to plunder wealth and close down their corruption cases.”
Imran said his party ran a robust campaign for Punjab by-elections and defeated all coalition parties and “corrupt state machinery and won the polls despite their rigging attempts”.
He also expressed fear over the country’s economic condition, saying such happenings will give rise to instability in the country.
“They destroyed the economy and the rupee witnessed historic depreciation since they came into power… our economy is already in bad condition and the crisis is getting worse.”
