ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday laughed off the opposition parties’ rendezvous with their past rivals to bring a no-confidence motion against him, saying the “dakoos” [bandits] who plundered the national wealth for over three decades are not going to get any NRO no matter how hard they try.

In a meeting of the party’s central executive committee (CEC) chaired by the prime minister as party chairman PTI, the opposition parties’ rendezvous with estranged PTI leaders, especially with Jahangir Khan Tareen, came under discussion.

According to sources, the prime minister seemed confident as majority of the participants including senior ministers said that Tareen – once a close aid of the prime minister – would not throw his weight behind the opposition parties.

Later, in a press conference, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid stated that the PTI should also engage its estranged leader Jahangir Tareen in talks. But he did say that the final decision will be taken by the prime minister, himself.

The sources quoted the prime minister as reiterating that there is no need to be worried about the opposition’s “hollow threats” as its sole intention is nothing but to clear themselves of their court cases pending before various courts on corruption charges.

“As long as I am here I’m not going to give them any NRO,” he was quoted as saying.

The prime minister directed the lawmakers to gear up for a mass contact campaign to mobilise workers and voters of the party ahead of the local government elections (second phase) in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, and the Punjab.

He said that mass drive should be meant to inform the people about the PTI’s “mega initiatives” and priorities, adding the propaganda campaign by the opposition must be countered in an effective manner.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2022