Imran Khan’s PTI ally withdraws from the coalition

Muttahida Quami Movement Pakistan has decided to leave Prime Minister Imran Khan’s PTI (Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf) ruling government coalition.

On Monday, the opposition in Pakistan proposed a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, in which polling will commence on Friday. Since then, the opposition has been compelling the PM to voluntarily resign from his post.

The day before, Pakistan’s government’s ally, MQM-P, decided to join the opposition against Imran Khan. The Muttahida Quami Movement in Pakistan is a major political force in the Sindh province of Pakistan. The decision followed lengthy negotiations between the MQM leaders and the opposition.

MQM-P decides to withdraw from the alliance

Aminul Haq, a federal minister in Imran’s government and one of the MQM’s senior leaders, confirmed the decision. He stated that “the party has decided to part ways with the government through the party’s coordination committee.” We have submitted our resignations from the federal cabinet. “

After the exit of MQM, Imran Khan was left with 164 votes. When, in fact, he requires 172 votes in an assembly of 342 seats. On the other hand, the opposition has 177 votes, of which more than 24 votes are from Imran’s party candidates that left PTI currently.

The opposition alleges Imran Khan of mismanaging the economy. During Imran’s reign, the prices of basic commodities were skyrocketing. Further, Imran’s government is also responsible for mishandling Pakistan’s foreign policy. The opposition also accuses Imran Khan of resorting to heavy-handed measures against critics.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari: Imran Khan has to resign, can’t keep running

The chairman of the opposition party, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), said that Imran Khan has lost the majority. Further, the leader of the opposition, Shahbaz Sharif, will soon become Pakistan’s next Prime Minister.

During a press event ahead of the no-confidence vote, Bilawal Bhutto thanked the MQM for joining the opposition for a noble cause. Bilawal Bhutto said, “Imran has now lost the majority in the National Assembly. He is no longer the Prime Minister.”

He further added, “The Parliamentary session is scheduled for tomorrow. Let’s not wait any longer and settle this tomorrow only. Then we can start working on transparent elections and the journey towards the restoration of democracy. We must not waste another day playing politics and must work towards reviving the country’s economy. “

Moreover, Bhutto stated that the next prime minister chosen to hold the office will be the brother of Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif. The working of PPP and MQM-P together has nothing to do with the no-confidence motion.

Both parties strive to work together for the development of Karachi and Pakistan, “he said.” Bilawal Bhutto also added that Imran Khan is left with no other options. He must either resign or his government will be ousted through a no-confidence motion.

Khan’s administration, like the others, will be abdicated?

In the 75-year history of Pakistani politics, no government has ever completed its 5-year term in the country. The powerful military has been a huge setback for the country’s volatile politics in the past. However, the current situation in Pakistani politics is due to the opposition’s lack of confidence in the ruling government.

The opposition accuses the current government of mismanaging the country’s economy and foreign policy. Earlier, on Wednesday, Imran Khan was going to address the nation. But for unknown reasons, he called it off.

Prior to this, during the mega rally in Islamabad, Khan stated that there was an “international conspiracy” against his government. He stated this on the basis of evidence he has and assured to release to the public.

During the announcement of the press conference, the media assumed that Imran Khan would make that evidence public. However, Imran Khan called off the conference. Furthermore, Imran Khan also canceled a meeting with senior journalists.

However, his assistant, Asad Umar, shared some of the evidence with reporters on Wednesday. The letter stated that “foreign pressure on Pakistan would go down if the no-confidence vote is successful.” 

Imran Khan is currently busy scheduling meetings with Pakistani military personnel. He met Pakistan Army chief Gen. Qamar Bajwa and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) head Lt. Gen. Nadeem Anjum. It is also expected that he will meet his fellow cabinet ministers to share the “threatening letter” with them

Edited by Subbuthai Padma

Published by Iram Rizvi