ISLAMABAD: Pakistan's leading opposition factions on Sunday instructed their National Assembly members to cancel their foreign trips and ensure their presence in the federal capital ahead of a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
A senior Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader, Syed Khursheed Ahmed Shah, told the media earlier in the day that the opposition would table no-trust motions against the prime minister and the National Assembly speaker by March 9.
The opposition parties already maintain they have the required numbers to topple the government while claiming that several members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have agreed to support them.
"Struggling to achieve the required numbers to move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly, the leadership of the country's two major opposition parties — the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) — on Sunday directed their lawmakers to cancel their foreign visits, if any, and ensure their presence in Islamabad for the next few days," Dawn newspaper reported.
The two parties issued written instructions to their National Assembly members through their information secretaries.
While PPP's Shazia Marri asked the party lawmakers to "ensure their presence in Islamabad," PML-N's Marriyum Aurangzeb said that "spending taxpayers' money on foreign trips at a time when the people are under duress due to price-hike and unemployment will be nothing but corruption and dacoity."
According to PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal, all opposition parties are on the same page over the demand for fresh elections in Pakistan after bringing down the government.
The prime minister also threatened the opposition of adverse consequences while addressing a public gathering in Vehari district on Sunday if the no-trust motion against his government failed.
