PM Shehbaz will have to take vote of confidence: Imran Khan  

LAHORE: In a tit-for-tat move, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan has confirmed that incumbent Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will have to seek vote of confidence from National Assembly, ARY News reported on Thursday.

Speaking to a private news channel, the former premier said that Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif will be “tested” through different plans which includes vote of confidence from the National Assembly.

Imran Khan said that the incumbent prime minister had tested Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) so now the party would turn the tables on Shehbaz Sharif.

The PTI Chairman further said that the party would hash out the details of the move in a party meeting on Sunday and carry out full planning for not only the trust vote but also other plans.

Referring to the recent vote of confidence taken by Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Pervaiz Elahi, Imran Khan lauds PML-Q leader Moonis Elahi for ‘working hard’ at the last moment to achieve the required numbers.

“The country has changed and they don’t realise it,” Khan said, adding that for the first time in the country’s history, Punjab stood against the Punjab establishment during the by-elections in July 2022.

Read More: PM Shehbaz’s trust vote: PTI in contact with PML-N MNAs

The development came after Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) threatened to leave the coalition government — whose votes are crucial to keep the incumbent prime minister in office.

Read More: ‘PM Shehbaz to seek vote of confidence if President orders’

Gen Bajwa’s extension  

During today’s interview, Imran Khan claimed that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa had approached him through army officers for the extension, adding that he had never thought about extending the tenure of former army chief.

The former premier further said that his party’s senior leaders and two army officers convinced him to grant extension to the ex-army chief.

“They all convinced me for extension but the final convincing argument presented by one army officer was that Gen Bajwa was saying that politics will start against Bajwa and he will face difficulties if not granted extension,” he remarked.

Imran said he told the “six witnesses” that giving extension to then army chief was against his “instinct”.