Opposition's current move proved PM right: Asad Umar

The minister maintained that today many people stood behind Imran Khan.

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) - Minister for Planning, Development and Special Initiatives Asad Umar Thursday said the government would not take any unconstitutional step to impede the opposition’s no-confidence move against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Addressing a press conference along with federal ministers Hammad Azhar and Fawad Hussain Chaudhry here, he said the opposition committed the “big crime of horse-trading” by detaining the PTI members in the Sindh House.

The opposition’s move, he said, showed that the opposition wanted a civil war in the country. The Federal Government had not retaliated yet and if it acted then the situation could be worst, the minister added.

Asad said Prime Minister Imran Khan used to say that the opposition leaders first earn the money through illegal means and then use that money to seek power, and their current move had proved him right.

Bags full of money were shifted to the Sindh House to “purchase the conscience” of the turncoats, he added.

Asad Umar maintained that if anybody had any ambiguity about the PM’s politics, “I want to tell them that Imran Khan’s politics is based on his principles and ideology. The PM has never done politics for the sake of his own benefits.”

Unlike the opposition leaders, he neither blackmailed anyone nor he was blackmailed by anyone , he added.

The “Changa Manga politics” was the hallmark of opposition parties, he said. Imran Khan, he said, was a public leader, who always stood by his own principles and ideology.

Asad said the PTI would continue its fight against the opposition’s “ill moves” till last time but it would not adopt any unconstitutional measure for the purpose. “These persons (opposition leaders) only use the name of democracy to run their business,” he added.

To a question, the minister maintained that today many people stood behind Imran Khan, who had started their politics in other parties. However, it did not mean that the people, who had started their politics in other parties, were not good.

He said on March 27, the nation would see that all the members and workers of PTI would be present in the historic public gathering.

To another question, the minister said the Federal Government was not considering imposition of governor rule in the Sindh province. As regards the performance of PTI government, the minister said the prime minister had fulfilled his promise of raising the respect of the nation and Pakistan globally.

The Ehsaas Programme had been acknowledged as one of the world’s best social best programme, Pakistan GDP growth rate was going to surpass 5 percent for the second consecutive year, a feat being achieved after 15 years, he added.

He said Imran Khan became the voice of Muslim world by speaking against Islamophobia at the United Nations, which had recently adopted a resolution to declaring March 15 as “International Day to Combat Islamophobia”.

Responding to a question, Asad Umar said the government was in contact with the opposition legislators, but it would not offer any money like the opposition leaders.