ISLAMABAD: Two dissident members of the National Assembly (MNAs) from the ruling PTI — Raja Riaz and Malik Nawab Sher Waseer — who are staying at the Sindh House in Islamabad came out in the open on Thursday, saying that they would vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in “accordance with their conscience”.
Hamid Mir, Riaz, who is a member of the Jahangir Tareen group, said there were around 24 PTI lawmakers staying at the Sindh House, citing fears of government action against them similar to the March 10 raid by police on Parliament Lodges.
Riaz further said that if PM Imran gave the guarantee that no police action would be taken against the MNAs irrespective of their decision regarding the vote, he was ready to move to Parliament Lodges from the Sindh House.
“All of the media and the nation knows that the police attacked the lodges and our opposition MNA was tortured and was taken to the police station.
“Therefore, we are here. No one has given us any money. God willing, we will give our vote based on our conscience. We are not afraid of anyone. We are here only as a precautionary measure.
Last month, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry alleged that three PTI MNAs had been offered bribes to support the opposition’s planned no-confidence motion in the parliament.
When asked if he had taken Rs200 million to switch allegiance, Riaz chuckled and replied: “I cannot even think of [accepting a rupee in bribe].”
Meanwhile, MNA Malik Nawab Sher Waseer said he would not contest the next general elections on a PTI ticket.
A day earlier, the government claimed the opposition had detained some ruling party lawmakers at Sindh House ahead of the vote after a statement by Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi that around a dozen MNAs belonging to the PTI had ‘gone missing’.
The premier said in a public address on Wednesday that opposition leaders were sitting in Sindh House with “heaps of money” to purchase loyalties of treasury lawmakers and had asked the election commission to take action against the alleged horse-trading.
PPP leader Faisal Karim Kundi had earlier confirmed the stay of some lawmakers at Sindh House during a press conference with PPP MNA Shazia Marri. “Every member has a right to stay there. These members are from the opposition and our allies,” he had said, adding that MNAs had been kept there as they feared they could be kidnapped ahead of the no-trust vote.
 from the ruling PTI — Raja Riaz and Malik Nawab S){kind=link}