Members of the opposition have accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government of inciting violence against those ruling party parliamentarians who support the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry said that their party would stage a rally on the day of the no-confidence vote so that any lawmaker headed to the National Assembly would need to pass through the crowd.
Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Sherry Rehman commented that threatening MNAs and trying to disqualify their vote was ‘unconstitutional‘.
"Threatening MNAs and preventing them from voting is a violation of their constitutional right"-@VicePresPPPP
Sen @sherryrehman pic.twitter.com/4P5i09E9P9— SherryRehman’sTeam (@SRehmanOffice) March 14, 2022
Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Vice President Abid Sher Ali compared the incumbent government’s behaviour to the 1933 Reichstag Fire.
تشدد سے اقتدار پر قبضہ کرنے کی ایک مثال وہ تھی جب نازیوں نے جرمن پارلیمان کو نذر آتش کردیا تھا۔ آج نئے پاکستان کا سلیکٹڈ حکمران بھی اسی راہ پر چل رہا ہے۔
— Abid Sher Ali (@AbidSherAli) March 14, 2022
News anchor Gharidah Farooqi termed the information minister’s comments ‘a threat, warning, and dangerous situation.
جس نے عدم اعتماد کا ووٹ ڈالنا ہو گا وہ دس لاکھ کے ہجوم میں سے گزر کر جائے گا اور جب ووٹ ڈال کر آئے گا تو بھی واپس اسی ہجوم سے گزر کر جانا ہو گا۔۔۔ تو آپ پھر دیکھ لیں۔۔۔ حکومتی پی ٹی آئی عہدیداروں کی پریس کانفرنس ۔۔۔
دھمکی ۔۔؟ یا وارننگ ۔۔؟
خطرناک حالات۔۔؟ بلوہ۔۔؟
— Gharidah Farooqi (@GFarooqi) March 14, 2022
“This is nothing but clear message of planned thuggery and unambiguous incitement to violence. What happens if the opposition does the same to harass them? Where do they want the country to end up?” commented NayaDaur editor Murtaza Solangi on his personal Twitter account.
This is nothing but clear message of planned thuggery and unambiguous incitement to violence. What happens if the opposition does the same to harass them? Where do they want the country to end up?pic.twitter.com/Q10hAghgCI
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) March 14, 2022
Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid also said on Thursday that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had the power to disqualify PTI lawmakers who side with the opposition during the vote of no confidence. Fawad Chaudry later echoed this sentiment in another interview.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister Shahbaz Gill also made a statement wherein he said that the PTI members who side with the opposition will be publicly shamed and their photos will be hung in cities.
