‘We have the strength to pass a vote of confidence’

An interview with the incumbent Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Provincial Assembly, Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi

Islamabad: Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi is a Pakistani politician and the current Deputy Speaker of the Provincial Assembly of Punjab. He is the youngest person to hold this role.

He was elected as a Member of the Punjab Provincial Assembly on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket in the 2018 General Elections.

He was elected unopposed as the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Provincial Assembly on July 30, 2022, and was notified the next day. His election followed a successful no-confidence vote against his predecessor, Dost Muhammad Mazari.

Bol News speaks with the lawmaker on matters pertaining to the nation and the country’s current political and economic situation.

Q. What’s your take on recent political developments in the country, especially in Punjab?

Wasiq Qayyum Abbasi: An effort was made to create chaos in the country by the PDM so that we wouldn’t dissolve the provincial assemblies of Punjab and KP.

When we vowed to dissolve these assemblies and began taking action in this regard, they (PDM) stated that they would not allow us to do so.

To halt the process of dissolving assemblies, they moved no-trust motions against the Chief Minister of Punjab, the Speaker of the Punjab Assembly, and me. Later, through an order by the governor, they asked the CM to take a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly. There has been panic on the political landscape, and the culmination of this effect will take place on January 11 when the CM takes a vote of confidence from the House. We have the necessary numbers to pass a vote of confidence, and if it passes, we will dissolve both the Punjab and KP assemblies, as promised.

Q. What would happen if something unexpected happened during this process?

WQA: If the CM fails to obtain a vote of confidence from the provincial assembly, then there would be no CM of the province and things would move towards a runoff election.

In such cases, the PTI has more House seats than the opposition combined. Furthermore, there is no space for floor crossing. According to the Supreme Court’s ruling, party members must follow the instructions of the party’s parliamentary leader. If someone crosses the floor, he or she will be removed after a reference in this connection. So in fact, there is no chance of floor crossing, and anyone who wants to opt for it would eventually end his political career. There are minimal chances of floor crossing.

Q. What is the story behind the technocratic government in the country?

WQA: There is an entire thought process and study behind the concept of technocratic government. Efforts are in place to bring such a setup to the country and introduce it while citing economic destabilisation in the country.

The PDM government was installed to restore economic stability. However, instead of bringing stability to the economy, the parties in PDM ruined it.

So we believe only the political setup can ensure a democratic setup that has the confidence of the people. Countries cannot be run through technocratic structures. There should be no such move. Every problem, including the economy, can be solved by holding transparent and free elections.

Q. When do you see general elections taking place in the country?

WQA: No one can prevent elections from taking place if the assemblies of KP and Punjab are dissolved. We would have no difficulty dissolving both of these assemblies after a successful vote of confidence in Punjab.

Q. Why didn’t Imran Khan opt to dissolve the assemblies instantly?

WQA: Giving a timeline for this purpose was our strategy. Our party wanted to ensure that the resignations of our MNAs were accepted. Without these resignations being accepted by the National Assembly, dissolving provincial assemblies would have been futile.

On the other hand, the resignations of PTI’s MNAs have not been accepted yet.

Sometimes the NA Speaker is unavailable, and other times the speaker says he will inquire separately from MNAs in this regard.

Contrary to these claims, the speaker asked our MNAs about their resignations and on whose seats by-elections were conducted, and Khan Sahab set a record by winning the most seats.

In any case, taking input on the resignation separately from these MNAs by the speaker isn’t a lengthy procedure. It can be completed in an hour. We had hoped to have our resignations accepted in the National Assembly first and then dissolve both provincial assemblies. This was the reason to buy time, and this was our strategy.

Q. Has this strategy been successful?

WQA: For the time being, it appears to be successful, as the true faces of the people associated with the parties in the centre have been revealed. Earlier, they were of the view that we would not dissolve the assemblies, and later, they said we would not give a deadline in this connection. However, contrary to their claims, we set a deadline, and they should have waited to see if we were going to dissolve the assemblies on Friday.

They were afraid that after the dissolution of assemblies there would be an election, so they are trying to avoid it.

Q. How would you react to a statement by Imran Khan in which he stated that he does not see elections taking place?

WQA: PTI’s popularity graph continues to rise. The narrative is well known among the general public. Our government was deposed in an unconstitutional manner, and the people are furious.

They don’t want to see these people who have amassed fortunes for generations. They are concerned that if elections were held in the country, Imran Khan would take power. They want to use any strategy that will help them avoid the election. I believe the economy will only recover once the country has achieved political stability.

Q. PTI has been claiming that the country is on the verge of default. What’s your take on it?

WQA: Simply demonstrate any foreign direct investment (FDI) in the country. What is the status of the remittance? The industries provide a boost to the overall economy and create jobs. What is the current state of our industries? How are our exports doing?

You’ve been holding dollars in shambles by keeping the exchange rate between Rs225 and Rs230.

The dollar, however, is not available in the open market against Rs 250.

I’m afraid the economy is on the verge of collapse that no one will be able to reverse. There is a need to take corrective measures, which would be reflected in the original GDP rather than reflecting it in the case scenario, which has no connection with reality.

You can fool people with these tricks, but they will not benefit you.

Consider our $5 billion in foreign exchange reserves. What would happen next? Consider India’s foreign exchange reserves of $650 billion; we don’t even have $5 or $6 billion. Foreign exchange reserves were $18 billion when they took power. It will only take a few weeks (in terms of defaulting). Payments to Saudi Arabia have been deferred. The IMF would force you to accept more conditions, but it would not give you funds.

Q. What solutions does the PTI have for current problems if it regains power?

WQA: I believe we have the dedication and commitment, as well as the team, to help Pakistan recover from its crisis.

However, strict actions are needed to be taken to overcome the economic crisis. You cannot expect to control economic issues unless you make sacrifices. The nation will have to sacrifice more in this connection. Otherwise, one cannot foresee improvement in the national economy.

Khan Sahab (Imran Khan) devised a strategy that prioritised better governance. Measures to improve administration would be implemented, and some political decisions would be made, but only when the time was right.

Q. According to PTI, a statement from the aviation minister landed PIA in hot water. Was it a good strategy?

WQA: Before attempting to resolve a problem, it is necessary to first identify the source of the problem. After identifying the issues, one can take aggressive measures. I don’t mean to imply that our pilots are incompetent; in fact, some of them are renowned, as are other crew members.

However, it wasn’t until after an incident that the investigation report concluded that there was a problem with the pilot. When a loved one dies in a plane crash, people’s emotions are usually very high. In such an environment, a statement was made about some pilots’ forged degrees.

Furthermore, we always say that PIA is a mother airline that requires Rs 500 billion to Rs 700 billion from the national exchequer to be operational. What kind of airline requires such large sums of money? There is a need to bring reforms to every institution that is running at a loss.

Q. Does the PTI have any reservations because CM Punjab has spent a lot of money in his own constituencies?

WQA: Yes, there are reservations among PTI MPAs in Punjab. The developmental funds were also spent in other areas, but a disproportionate amount of money was allocated to the constituencies of Punjab’s chief minister. In general, every CM does things like this, but funds are also being spent in other areas.

Q. What about seat adjustment with the PML-Q League?

WQA: We have made adjustments on various seats, and it would be premature to reveal our understanding of the effect. However, I can say that the seat adjustment with our ally party has been beneficial to both parties. PML-Q has improved its position in more seats as a result of these changes.

Q. What’s your take on audio leaks against IK?

WQA: It’s a dirty game that aims to assassinate the character of Khan Sahab.

I don’t want to get engaged in the debate over whether they are genuine or fabricated. A murder attempt was made on IK, but he survived. Following that, a campaign was launched to assassinate his character. What would you do next?

What sort of message is being given to the nation and the entire world? Do things like this happen in the rest of the world? Tactics like this should be halted.

Q. What about PTI’s relations with the establishment?

WQA: We are not in touch with any command at the GHQ, old or new.

They are proceeding with their calculations and plans, while we have our own strategy. Our narrative is very clear and is based on the country’s dignity in the international community. All of the institutions came after Pakistan. Pakistan will be stronger if its economy improves, and I believe political solutions can lead to a better economy.

When it comes to matters concerning the country, one should not be egoistic, but rather consider what is best for it.