ISLAMABAD - Minister for Interior Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad on Friday said that he was seeing Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), an alliance of 11 Opposition parties, participating in the upcoming Senate election despite its threat of giving resignations from the assemblies ahead of the polls.
Addressing a Press conference at headquarters of the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), the Minister said that if the Opposition doesn’t want to take part in the Senate election, then why they are concerned that polling should not be held early. “I challenge all legal experts that that Senate election could be held between February 12 to March 12 and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) can announce any date.”
Earlier this week, the federal Cabinet had decided to hold Senate election in February instead of March. The election for 52 seats of the Upper House is to be held because half members of 104-member house will retire on March 11. The Interior Minister reiterated that he had already told the PDM to hold the protest long march towards Islamabad early. “If Prime Minister Imran Khan got majority in the Senate election, keep in mind that he would introduce so tough laws against corrupt, dishonest and money launderers that you (Opposition) will cry,” he said warning the Opposition it was better to find a middle ground.
Sheikh Rasheed also said that Opposition parties in PDM did not care for the second wave of Covid-19. “I talk soft but (make it sure that) Prime Minister Imran Khan is going no where,” he said while stating the Opposition that their protest movement to oust PM was doomed to fail.