ISLAMABAD, Pakistan: The Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Tuesday emphatically said that neither Prime Minister Imran Khan would step down nor the assemblies would be dissolved, saying the Country could not be run on the whims of somebody.
While addressing a Press Conference in Islamabad, the foreign minister categorically rejected the demands of opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), terming them undemocratic and unconstitutional.
Qureshi said the incumbent government enjoyed the mandate of the people and secured millions of votes in the 2018 general elections.
The foreign minister, who is also the Vice-Chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), regretted that the opposition parties were giving priority to their personal interests over the national interests.
However, he added they were ready for talks on electoral reforms, issues of inflation, provincial autonomy, and the NFC.
Referring to the stance of opposition parties on the dialogue, the foreign minister reminded that doors of negotiations in politics were never shut. He said the posture of the opposition parties might damage the democracy.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi further said the alliance of opposition parties had failed to mobilize the public support. He said the people showed their indifference to the Lahore gathering which was a meaningless activity as it carried no new announcement.
Furthermore, he said there was no consensus amongst the PDM over the issue of resignations from the assemblies and the Long March.
The minister said the policy of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was ambiguous as its decisions were being taken not by the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari but the former President Asif Ali Zardari.
Qureshi said Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) was also divided on the issue of resignations. He said there was a clear difference between the groups of Shahbaz Sharif and that of Maryam Nawaz.
