NA speaker downplays PTI strength for no-confidence motion

• No truth to reports about no-trust motion, says PTI chairman.
• After India, there should be ceasefire among ourselves too, he adds.
• Khawaja Asif says PTI attempting to secure relief for its founder.

National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Tuesday expressed confidence that many Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmakers would not support a proposed no-confidence motion against him.

During an informal interaction with journalists in Islamabad, the NA speaker said that those “friends” who were eager to bring the no-confidence motion against him may go ahead.

“I have heard that a no-confidence motion is being brought against me,” he added.

According to PTI sources, the former ruling party was considering tabling no-confidence motions against Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and the NA speaker, in collaboration with opposition allies.

During a recent meeting between incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan, his legal team, and his sisters, the idea of a no-confidence motion against the speaker was actively discussed, the well-placed sources added.

The PTI founder was briefed on the opposition alliance's stance, including that of Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party leader Mahmood Khan Achakzai, who has publicly expressed no confidence in the current speaker.

The sources further claimed that the PTI founder directed the party’s leadership and allied opposition parties to move ahead with planning the motion, giving them full authority to execute the strategy when the time was right. Party insiders also quoted the PTI founder as saying that the current government must be challenged, both inside and outside the parliament.

Talking to journalists today, Sadiq said: “Being a speaker, I take care of everyone. I am satisfied and my conduct as a speaker is clear to all.”

Even if a no-confidence motion was tabled, their own people won’t support it, he added.

Opposing the idea of the no-trust motion in the backdrop of the recent Pakistan-India war, the NA speaker said that an atmosphere of national unity had been established in the prevailing situation.

Paying rich tribute to the armed forces, the NA speaker said that those who laid down their lives in the line of duty and to defend the homeland were their “real heroes”.     

He maintained that they had shown the enemy that the entire nation stands united for the defence of the country.

‘No-trust motion to expose opposition’s true strength’

Castigating the former ruling party over proposed no-trust motions against the NA speaker and the premier, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the move would expose the true strength of the opposition in the House.

Talking to Geo News at the Parliament House, he said: “If the opposition wants to bring a no-confidence motion against the government or the Speaker, they are free to do so.”

The defence minister said that the little political credibility the opposition had left would also come to light.

“If a motion can be brought against the current speaker, then it should have been brought against Asad Qaiser 100 times when he was the speaker,” he added.

The minister was of the view that the PTI was attempting to pressure the government in order to secure relief for its founder.

Responding to a question, he said that at present, there was an “ideal cooperation” between the government and the establishment.

No truth to reports about no-trust motion: PTI 

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, however, rejected the media reports claiming the former ruling party was planning to bring no-trust motions against the premier and the NA speaker as “baseless and fake”.

Talking to journalists, the PTI chairman said: “The news about PTI bringing a no-trust motion is false.” He maintained that the Khan-founded party had not made any decision about the no-confidence motion against the government.

“No-trust motion is neither on our agenda nor on the cards,” he clarified. The PTI founder said that they did not have any meeting regarding the no-trust motion.

On a lighter note, the PTI chairman remarked: "There's a ceasefire with India, there should be one among ourselves too."

'Two targets' 

Commenting on the matter, senior PTI leader and former speaker Asad Qaiser, earlier today, confirmed that both the prime minister and the speaker were being considered as targets for no-confidence motions.

"We are keeping this option under consideration," he said. "Due to Pakistan-India tensions, we have temporarily held back. If we moved now, it might be seen as politicising a time of national crisis."

Qaiser added that the no-confidence option would be used "at the appropriate time" and reiterated that both posts — prime minister and speaker — remained under scrutiny by the opposition camp.