Rejecting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairperson Imran Khan’s 6 day ultimatum to the government demanding elections in June, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has said that the National Assembly will decide when to hold elections, and it won’t be ‘blackmailed’ or ‘dictated’ by anyone.
Addressing the lower house of the parliament, the prime minister stressed that the National Assembly is the only body that will be deciding the dates of the next election.
PM Shehbaz chastised Imran Khan and his party, and said, “I want to clarify to the leader of this group (PTI), your dictation won’t work. This house will decide when to hold elections.”
Earlier that day, Khan had cancelled PTI’s planned sit-in in the capital, and issued a 6-day ultimatum to the federal government demanding the dissolution of assemblies and fresh elections in June 2022, or else he would return to Islamabad with an even bigger crowd.
The PM said that while doors for communication and talks between the government and PTI would always be open, he would not accept any ‘dictation’.
“Imran Niazi, let me make myself clear, you can dictate someone at home, but you cannot blackmail or intimidate the House,” Shehbaz said.
“How long will the people of my country continue to suffer this joke?” the PM asked, adding that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa police and chief minister came to the federation with armed groups.
Shehbaz Sharif also thanked the police forces and paid tribute to them for ‘performing their duties responsibly’.
The rest of his speech was dedicated to criticizing PTI and Imran for their actions in the federal capital yesterday, condemning him for creating a situation like the one in 2014, where PTI supporters attacked parliament and the PTV house.
IK is in position to give an ultimatum. He should not have revealed his best card and negotiated when his threat was an unknown entity. Poor strategy now the next year is going to be lonesome and he knows how to evangelise to his lot but has no skills to survive in the parliamentary system.