No-trust motion: Dissident PTI lawmakers spurn PM’s offer to rejoin government

• Dissident PTI MNAs ask government to provide evidence of horse-trading.
• Government approaches SC, seeking lifetime disqualification of its dissident lawmakers.
• PM Imran Khan says he is ready to forgive dissident PTI MNAs.

The dissident MNAs of PTI categorically spurned Prime Minister Imran Khan’s offer to rejoin the government in a bid to vote against the Opposition’s no-trust motion, Geo News reported Monday.

With the no trust-motion tabled in the Assembly, on Friday, around 24 ruling party members came to the fore and announced support for the Opposition on the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Following this, the government approached the Supreme Court for the interpretation of Article 63(A), seeking lifetime disqualification of the "turncoats".

On Sunday, however, PM Imran said he was ready to forgive the dissident MNAs of the PTI, given that they rejoin the party.

Dissident PTI MNAs Ramesh Kumar, Ahmed Hussain Dehar and Noor Alam Khan responded to the PM's statement on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath, where they asked the government to provide evidence of horse-trading.

MNA Ahmed Hussain Dehar said that Prime Minister Imran Khan was not understanding the current situation, adding, “I have been asking that the government resolve my issues for the last three years.”

“[The] government is blaming us [dissident PTI MNAs] for horse-trading without any proof, however, I have donated land worth Rs400 million to Rescue 1122,” he said.

On being asked if he will rejoin the government to escape lifetime disqualification, he said, “It’s not about disqualification, politics or the government - it’s all about respect.”

He went on to say that PM Imran Khan is cursing their children and provoking supporters to attack them. “I am protesting this behaviour [of PM Imran Khan],” he said.

“Would a father treat [people] this way? He [PM] has sent goons at someone’s daughter's house,” he said.

Another dissident PTI MNA, Noor Alam, said he would file a defamation case for levelling baseless allegations of horse-trading against him.

“[The] government will have to provide proof of [the] allegations levelled against me,” he said.

He went on to say that the situation would have been different if the PM did not treat them like dogs.

Responding to the PM’s statement, Noor Alam said, “If you hurl abuses at someone’s family, they will surely contest polls against you.”

Another disgruntled ruling party MNA, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, claimed that the count of PTI dissident MNAs had reached to 35 from 33 now. “No one will go back to the government,” he said.

“I think we all will vote in favour of the no-trust motion, however, if a situation develops where we have to support the government, we will resign and go for new elections,” he added.