Pakistan's opposition leaders Shahbaz Sharif, seated center, Asif Ali Zardari, second right, and lawmakers from the government's coalition party, give a press conference about the country's latest political situation, in Islamabad, Pakistan, Monday, March 28, 2022.
Highlights
- Pakistan PM Imran Khan is facing a no-trust vote
- Imran Khan govt's allies two major allies have withdrawn support
- The united Oppn in Pakistan is building pressure on Imran Khan to resign
Pakistan Political Crisis: Pakistan PM Imran Khan, who is facing no-trust vote, suffered another blow on Wednesday after a key partner of the ruling coalition said it will support Opposition's no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. Post this development, the embattled Imran Khan has now effectively lost majority in Parliament.
Addressing a press conference, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a key ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led coalition government, formally announced that it was joining the opposition ranks. "We want to make a new beginning for politics of tolerance and true democracy," said MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui.
The Khan government effectively lost majority after the MQM-P with its seven members decided to join the opposition. Another ally of the ruling coalition, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) with five members in the lower house had announced on Monday that it had "accepted the opposition's invitation" to vote against Khan.
Who are top contenders to form government if Imran Khan steps down?
The current united opposition is led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif (brother of former PM Nawaz Sharif), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and his father Asif Ali Zardari. Plus now, the no trust motion has received support from MQM, and BAP. But who are likely contenders for the Pakistan Prime Minister's chair if Imran Khan resigns.
- Shehbaz Sharif, PML-N chief and brother of former PM Nawaz Sharif, is the Leader of Opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly and one among the top contenders if Iman Khan fails to save his government.
- Maryam Nawaz, daughter of Nawaz Sharif. She joined politics in 2012 and was put in-charge of election campaign during 2013 general election. In the same year, Maryam was elevated as chairman of Prime Minister's Youth Programme. But she had to resign after her appointment was challenged in 2014 in Lahore High Court.
Maryam Nawaz was sentenced to seven years in prison and £2 million fine on corruption charges in the Avenfield reference case in July 2018. But in September same year, her sentence was suspended by the Islamabad High Court.
- Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, former Pakistan Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and former Pak President Asif Ali Zardari's son and current chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). Bilawal became a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan on August 13, 2018.
Meanwhile, earlier in the day, while briefly talking to the media after a special session of cabinet, which was chaired by the premier, Rashid said Khan also shared the “threatening letter” with the cabinet colleagues, who in return expressed complete trust in him.
To a question if Khan would announce his resignation in his speech, Rashid said: "No way. He will fight till the last ball."
The minister also said that Khan himself or foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi may also brief the parliament in-camera about the threatening letter.
Pakistan plunged into uncertainty on March 8 after the combined opposition submitted the motion with the National Assembly, which will convene on Thursday to debate the motion.
Prime Minister Khan, who needs 172 votes in the house of 342 to foil the Opposition's bid to topple him, is facing his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018 as defections in his party and cracks in the ruling coalition appeared to have made his position fragile.
Geo News earlier reported that MQM-P lawmakers Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque, serving as federal ministers, submitted their resignations to the prime minister.
Khan, 69, is heading a coalition government and he can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides. The PTI has 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly and needs at least 172 lawmakers to retain power. Khan is facing a rebellion by his about two dozen lawmakers and allied parties.
No prime minister in Pakistan's history has ever been ousted through a no-confidence motion, and Khan is the third premier to face the challenge. No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office.
On Tuesday, Prime Minister Khan strictly directed his party lawmakers to either abstain or not attend the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion against him, which is likely to be held in the first week of April.
Khan came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’ but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government.
(With PTI inputs)
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