Islamabad: The Pakistan joint opposition has backtracked on its threat to block the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Foreign Ministers’ summit in Islamabad over the government’s alleged plans to delay a vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Samaa TV reported.
In a statement issued on Saturday shortly after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari warned the government of a sit-in, the joint opposition said that it would not allow Pakistan’s internal political situation and political wrangling to affect the OIC meetings.
The joint opposition said that welcomes the OIC Foreign Ministers and delegates to Pakistan and assured that it would play its role to make their stay memorable and pleasan.
Earlier, the joint opposition had asked the National Assembly Speaker to allow it to table the no-confidence motion against Khan on Monday, instead of adjourning the session for several days.
In the event the Speaker tried to postpone the session, the opposition would block the OIC summit, it warned.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Shehbaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Fazlur Rehman and other leaders addressed the press conference after a key meeting of the opposition parties at the Islamabad residence of Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday.
They warned the National Assembly speakers that if he adjourned the NA session citing the OIC foreign minister conference, the opposition members will stage a sit-in in the National Assembly hall.
“We will see how you convene the OIC conference,” said Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The OIC conference is scheduled to be held in the same hall on March 22-23.
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser was quoted by Geo News on Friday as saying that he has the power to postpone the NA session for an indefinite period, sparking fears among opposition that the speaker may not allow them to move the no-trust motion.
However, a spokesperson later said the speaker had said nothing to that effect.
(IANS)
