People won’t let you leave, PM tells dissidents

Imran strongly criticises ‘illegal activities’ at Sindh House, says Sindh's money being used to buy consciences

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday predicted that most of the dissident lawmakers of his party will return to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) because of “public pressure”.

“I predict that as the no-confidence vote nears – I am seeing the public’s anger over selling of consciences – most of them (dissident lawmakers) will come back,” he said while addressing a ceremony in Rawalpindi. Terming the no-confidence resolution against him a “wonderful opportunity”, the premier said he was giving the lawmakers the “benefit of doubt”, adding that PTI members had been reaching out to them. His remarks came two days after several PTI lawmakers were found staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad.

During his speech, the premier strongly criticised what he termed “illegal activities” at the Sindh House. “There is a marketplace for buying consciences,” he said, claiming that looted money, including funds “from the Sindh government”, were being used to buy votes. “The Sindh government’s [money] is public money. It is illegal to spend that money to buy politicians’ conscience,” he said.

The prime minister said police had never before been called to the Sindh House for its protection until recently.

“What did you fear? If some PTI members had grievances and wanted to [leave], why did they need protection?” he questioned.

He reiterated that the no-confidence resolution was a “blessing from God” so the Pakistani people could see the political system of the country that enables the “buying off of people, looting of the country and then sending the ill-gotten [wealth] abroad”. Taking a jibe at the opposition, he said, “Nobody has any shame. This is not democracy.”

The premier said Pakistan’s democratic system was based on the Westminster model [first developed in England] where “no one can even think of taking money to do floor-crossing”.

If anyone tried to offer a parliamentarian in the United Kingdom money, he would be very fearful of what the public would do if he got caught, he said. However, in Pakistan, “money is being given under police protection,” he added.

Referring to the storming of the Sindh House by some PTI workers a day earlier, PM Imran said they had “become emotional”. PTI supporters had barged into the Sindh House the other day after protesting outside for hours against dissident MNAs who are staying at the facility. Television footage showed PTI workers climbing over the walls of Sindh House with some of them later breaking down the doors to enter the building. They also carried lotas in protest against the alleged “turncoats”.

“I tell everyone that peaceful protest is your right but do not clash,” the premier said, but asked the public whether what was happening in connection with the no-confidence vote was “real politics”. The world has changed and social media now showed everything that was happening, he said, adding that the country would see a never-seen-before number of people in Islamabad on March 27 for the PTI’s rally at D-Chowk. “The public will show where they stand on March 27,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Information Minister Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the PTI had issued show-cause notices to the dissident MNAs. However, “the doors of forgiveness are open”, he added.

The lawmakers have been given seven days to reply to the notices, he said while talking to the media in Islamabad.

He claimed that the brother of one of the lawmakers who had been found staying at the Sindh House had contacted the PTI to say that his entire family was “ashamed” and was unable to reach the MNA because of the police deployed at the building.

“You will see their (dissident lawmakers) return journey. As far as whether the government will go [home] or not, it is not happening and will not happen in the future.”