‘Kaptaan bhag gaya’: Bilawal taunts govt for opting out of joint Parliament session

• Bilawal says government opted out of the Parliament’s joint session because it had “foreseen its defeat”.
• Says "postponing the session is also a disgrace to the president."
• Says the countdown to the end of PTI’s tenure has begun.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said Wednesday that the government opted out of the Parliament’s joint session as it had “foreseen its defeat”.

Taking to Twitter, Bilawal said “Kaptaan bhag gaya” (the captain ran away), as he shared President Arif Alvi's notification for the postponement of the session.

“Yet another victory for the United opposition in the Parliament today. Government ran away from joint sessions when they saw they would be defeated yet again. Kaptaan Bagh[sic] gaya.”

Earlier, while addressing the MNAs at a dinner he hosted at the Senate’s banquet hall, Bilawal said that the government had to postpone the Parliament’s joint session due to the efforts by the Opposition.

"Due to the opposition’s contacts with the government’s allies, the government had to retreat and cancel the joint session. Thanks to [leader of the Opposition] Shahbaz Sharif who gathered the Opposition parties,” said Bilawal. 

He said that the president of Pakistan had issued a notification for the joint session of the Parliament but the government revoked the notification by announcing to postpone the session.

"Postponing the session is also a disgrace to the president", he said.

Earlier today, the government postponed a joint session of the Parliament that was scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday).

A meeting of the Federal Cabinet on Tuesday had called the session on Thursday at 11pm to pass the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance (Amendment) Bill and electoral reforms bill among other legislation items.

Later, President Alvi issued an official notification for the postponement of the joint session.

Bilawal said that the Opposition had decided to ensure their numbers to oppose the National Accountability Bureau Ordinance (Amendment) Bill and electoral reforms bill proposed by the government.

He said that the NAB ordinances being presented one after another are based on "mala fide intent."

“The Opposition had decided to consult the parties allied with the government over the electronic voting machines and one-sided electoral reforms,” said Bilawal.

He said that they [Opposition] are not asking the government's allies to support them on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister now.

“Instead, we are talking only about the government’s undemocratic methods and bids to make the election commission controversial.”

Bilawal further said that the countdown to the end of PTI’s tenure has begun, adding “it’s now time for PM Imran Khan to be a bundle of nerves”.

He said that he still stands firm on his idea to move a no-trust motion against PM Imran Khan and Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar but they will have to make efforts for it separately.

Last month, Bilawal had said that he will ask other political parties to consider moving a no-confidence motion against PTI governments in Punjab and Centre in the National and Punjab Assembly, respectively.

“The incumbent government will be unable to survive if a no-confidence motion is tabled against it in the assemblies," the PPP chairman had maintained.

Meanwhile, Shahbaz —while addressing the media after the dinner — said that the allies of the government refused to support it on the matter of the NAB Ordinance and electoral reforms bill.

“The government postponed the joint session due to the denial of its allies to support it,” he said.