On the brink of a humiliating defeat, the beleaguered Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked his one lakh supporters to gather in front of the Pakistan National Assembly on D-day April 3 where the voting against the Prime Minister has to take place. Despite his government in minority, the mercurial Khan, living in denial, has refused to resign and has warned that he will fight to the bitter end.
Issuing alerts, the security agencies have apprehension about a potential clash of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and opposition parties on the decisive day, which could result in wide disruption in Islamabad.
"The opposition parties including JUI-F have the capacity to gather an even greater number of party activists backed by Ansaar-ul-Islam force, that could create law and order issued,” Geo TV reported quoting intelligence sources.
The security agencies, however, say that implementation of strict law and order will be difficult because of the direct involvement of PM Imran Khan and his senior cabinet colleagues who have asked their supporters to reach there. The senior officials told Geo TV that since the assembly is in the red zone area, the army can also be deployed.
The PTI supporters will be there to prevent the former coalition allies and “rebel” PTI members of Imran Khan government from entering the assembly. There are apprehensions of anti-American protests in the major cities of the country, evoking memories of 1979 when the US mission was stormed.
21/11/1979, Islamabad, Pakistan: enraged by a rumor claiming that the United States has bombed the Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Pakistanis storm the US embassy and burn it to the ground. Two US Marine officers and two Pakistani security guards are killed in the attack. pic.twitter.com/xqORKeQGbP
— Rez. 🇪🇸 🇺🇦 (@JrRezvani) January 20, 2019
The opposition leader and the prime ministerial candidate Shehbaz Sharif has demanded the full security of opposition members. He also demanded fool-proof security on the day of the election of the new prime minister.
In a letter to the chiefs of various security agencies Sharif has asked them “to perform their duties in accordance with the constitution and the law” to ensure the security of the opposition lawmakers.
Imran khan has been playing foul by getting the Speaker of the National Assembly or President of Pakistan to extend his political lease of life a bit by twisting procedures. On Thursday, under his pressure, the speaker adjourned the house proceedings minutes after it started till Sunday morning.
The same day Imran Khan issued threats in his address to the nation.
“On coming Sunday, it will be decided in which direction this country will go,” Khan said in a live speech where he appeared as an angry, frustrated, delusional man who knows the end is near but is stubbornly trying to create chaos to prolong it .
Meanwhile, the combined opposition has claimed that they have more than 200 members, more than the required 172, who will be voting against Imran Khan on April 3. They have asked the speaker of the assembly to add the election of a new prime minister in the agenda of the National Assembly session after ousting Imran Khan. The opposition also warned the speaker not to repeat his mischievous and illegal “play” as April 3 is the last day constitutionally for the voting. No-confidence motion was tabled on March 28 and within 7 days the speaker had to hold voting on the motion..
Also Read : Opposition ridicules Imran Khan after Pak PM makes a parting address, full of self-pity and xenophobia
