Pak opposition, media accept Imran Khan’s challenge for open debate

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Rattled over the no-confidence motion, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has been losing not only his coalition partners, but also grassroots support by vocalising threats and derogatory remarks against senior opposition leaders and media. In his latest “drama” Imran Khan challenged what he called  three “stooges” of the combined opposition and Pakistani media for an open debate on the performance of his government—something which was immediately accepted by the media and the opposition.</p>
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“I accepted the challenge and said “I will only ask questions with facts about the economy. If Imran Khan is ready, I can do this show at D-Chowk,” said Hamid Mir, the popular Pakistani anchor of Geo TV.</p>
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PM ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImranKhanPTI</a>⁩ yesterday challenged opposition and media for a live debate on economy, ⁦<a href="https://twitter.com/HamidMirPAK?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HamidMirPAK</a>⁩ accepted the challenge and said “I will only ask questions with facts about the economy.If he is ready, I can do this show at D-Chowk.” <a href="https://t.co/7mJrsa8ZQf">https://t.co/7mJrsa8ZQf</a></p>
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) <a href="https://twitter.com/HamidMirPAK/status/1503976238519566338?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Hamid Mir said that he was also ready to host a live show with Imran Khan and Maulana Fazl ur Rahman, Shabaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari or Bilawal Zardari Bhutto whom Khan is blaming for spearheading the no-confidence motion against him.</p>
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“But he (Khan) will not come. He made a challenge to the media I accepted. It’s very simple. He is no longer in a position to face my questions in a live show,” claimed Hamid Mir adding that all opposition leaders are ready to debate with Imran Khan but he will not dare to come for the show for obvious reasons.</p>
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“I will only play his old claims made in front of me like he said he will commit suicide instead of signing a deal with IMF but after coming into power he signed deals with IMF again and again. He has failed on every front. I am ready for a civilised debate based on facts.”</p>
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Hamid Mir who was ‘taken” off the air by the Imran Khan’s government last year is back again, presumably on the behest of the security establishment last week.</p>
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<strong>Also Read : </strong><a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/imran-khan-knows-that-he-is-a-powerless-pm-pak-army-is-the-boss-pakistani-journalist-hamid-mir-tells-bbc-106631.html">Imran Khan knows that he is a “powerless PM,”Pak army is the boss–Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir tells BBC</a></p>
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Former Pakistani Prime Minister and leader of the opposition Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that the entire opposition has been asking for the debate in parliament but each time he has refused to come.</p>
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“The PM can join the debate in parliament on the no-confidence move and explain his position. We are still ready but I think it’s time for him to go now,” said Ashraf.</p>
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But everyone knows that Imran Khan will never agree for the debate because he has “nothing” to show on the performance of his government.</p>
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Interestingly, the D-chowk in Islamabad is the place from where Imran Khan started his long seized protest against the then Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 2014.</p>
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After 8 years, Khan has once again asked  his “millions” of supporters to reach the same venue on March 27, a day before the no-confidence which is scheduled for March 28. Khan has  urged supporters to show the world that they “are against these thieves, bandits, hypocrites and slaves of America” – referring to opposition leaders. He claimed that entire Pakistan was ready to go down with him rather than supporting the corrupt opposition parties.</p>
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<strong>Video:</strong></p>
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LIVE <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/APPNews?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#APPNews</a> : Prime Minister <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImranKhanPTI</a> addressing public gathering at Saidu Sharif <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Swat?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Swat</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/PakPMO?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PakPMO</a> <a href="https://t.co/61I9FNOXrz">https://t.co/61I9FNOXrz</a></p>
— APP 🇵🇰 (@appcsocialmedia) <a href="https://twitter.com/appcsocialmedia/status/1504055689076957188?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 16, 2022</a></blockquote>
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But the allies have also realised that  Imran Khan is facing the greatest challenge in his life. And it is impossible for him to win the no-confidence vote.</p>
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“He is in 100 percent danger,” Pervaiz Elahi, the head of one of the four parties in Khan’s ruling coalition, told the Pakistani channel HUM News.</p>
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With 10 days left for the vote on the no-confidence motion, the outcome seems to be clear.</p>
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Imran Khan is now left to fight his own battle, with the security establishment stepping aside. The decision of the military leadership to stay out of the political fray has completely changed the dynamics.</p>
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“With his crutch gone, the prime minister is feeling the heat,” writes Pakistani journalist Zahid Hussain in Dawn.</p>
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According to a Pakistani expert, Khan has lost the confidence of the majority. As a former sportsman, he should know more than anyone when to concede defeat and be gracious in acknowledging the loss instead of inciting the mob to fight on the street.</p>
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<strong>Also Read :</strong> <a href="https://www.indianarrative.com/world-news/staring-at-defeat-mercurial-imran-khan-goes-berserk-mounts-personal-attacks-on-top-opposition-leaders-156148.html">Staring at defeat, mercurial Imran Khan goes berserk—mounts personal attacks on top opposition leaders</a></p>