ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a leading opposition party, started on Saturday an anti-government march to Islamabad, ahead of a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Opposition parties filed a no-trust motion against Khan on March 8, accusing him of mismanaging the economy and foreign policy, and poorly governing the country. They also called for Khan to announce early elections, a demand his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has repeatedly rejected.
Calling it "the beginning of the end of this incompetent government," the PML-N began the march from the country’s second largest city of Lahore. PML-N vice presidents Hamza Shehbaz Sharif and Maryam Nawaz Sharif were leading the rally.
“The PML-N invites all segments of the society, including workers, farmers, students and laborers, to join the march,” PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said in statement on Saturday morning.
Participants of the march would stay in Gujranwala on Saturday night and begin their journey toward the capital on Sunday, according to the statement.
PM Khan, meanwhile, has called on supporters to attend a pro-government rally, also on Sunday.
The government has beefed up security in Islamabad ahead of the rallies. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Friday urged political parties to organize their public gatherings at designated places.
The interior ministry said in a statement that additional forces from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa would be brought to the capital to support Islamabad police.
“Additional troops of Rangers and Frontier Corps would also be deployed to ensure law and order in the federal capital,” it said.
On Friday, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned a session of the House without taking up the no-trust motion after prayers were offered for a lawmaker who had passed away recently. The next session is now scheduled for Monday, March 28.
PML-N's president Shehbaz Sharif, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, accused the speaker of violating the constitution by delaying the tabling of the no-confidence motion.
“Speaker continues to trample upon constitutional provisions. This partisan behaviour does not suit the custodian of the House,” Sharif said on Twitter.
"Adjournment of NA session is part of desperate efforts to disrupt no-confidence process. You cannot stop the inevitable through such underhand tactics!”
