ISLAMABAD – Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday looked far more relaxed and upbeat about victory of his PTI-led ruling coalition in the election on 37 vacant Senate seats to be held today.
“We shall emerge victorious in our contest against the looters”, Imran Khan told Members of National Assembly (MNAs) from Pakistan Tehreek-i- Insaf (PTI) and its coalition partners at the luncheon he hosted in their honour ahead of the Senate election. As many as 176 MNAs participated in the luncheon here at the PM House.
“We had ineffective voice in the Senate because of insufficient representation”, he said emphasising that their government will be able to do legislation once they have adequate strength in the 104-member Upper House.
He reiterated his stance for not having a hand-shake with the opposition leaders because their alleged corruption. “You tell me how can I grant NRO to the corrupt”, the prime minister said, adding that he had tried his utmost to make the Senate election most transparent through open ballot.
He recalled that the opposition was seeking NRO when the government engaged them on the issue of FATF.
“In the remaining term of two and half years, we will run the government with strong footing with primary focus on addressing the public issues”, the Prime Minister concluded.
Dr. Hafeez Sheikh, the consensus candidate of the PTI-led ruling coalition for Senate seat from Islamabad, also spoke on the occasion.
All the participating MNAs also signed a letter to reject the letter of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani and PDM’s Senate candidate he had written to all the MNAs for seeking their votes.
Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar, PM’s Special Assistant Shahbaz Gill also participated.
Earlier in the day, the prime minister had interactions with dozens of MNAs at his PM Chamber in the National Assembly and discussed matters of mutual interest.
According to details, MNAs Raja Riaz Ahmed, Raza Nasrullah Ghuman and Khurram Shehzad called on Prime Minister Imran Khan. Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood, Punjab Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Special Assistant Malik Muhammad Aamir Dogar were also present in the meeting.
Members of National Assembly Rahat Amanullah Bhatti, Sardar Talib Hussain Nakai and Malik Karamat Ali Khokhar also called on Prime Minister Imran Khan at the Parliament House.
MNAs Tahir Sadiq and Muhammad Ibrahim Khan also called on the prime minister.
Other MNAs who called on the prime minister included Syed Mobeen Ahmad, Zahoor Hussain Qureshi, Prince Muhammad Nawaz, Sher Akbar Khan, Dr. Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sabir Hussain Qaim Khani, Salah-ud-Din, Osama Qadri, Iqbal Muhammad Ali, Kishwar Zahra, Saleh Muhammad, Ali Khan Jadoon, Imran Khattak, Amir Hussain, Malik Umar Aslam Khan, Abdul Majeed Khan, and Fauzia Behram, Sobia Kamal Khan, Sajid Begum and Nusrat Wahid.
Prime Minister’s Special Assistant Amir Dogar and Parliamentary Secretary for Planning Division Kanwal Shauzab, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Defence Minister Pervez Khatak, Minister of Economic Affairs Makhdum Khusro Bakhtiar, Minister for Housing Tariq Bashir Cheema, Chief Minister Punjab Usman Buzdar, Special Assistant Amir Dogar and Parliamentary Secretary for Planning Kanwal Shauzab.
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