Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a majority in parliament on Wednesday ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion after a key ally of the ruling coalition withdrew from the opposition camp. The MQM-P has seven MPs. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulan Fazlur Rehman said the opposition now has 175 MPs in the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament. It has already been announced that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President and Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif will be made the new Prime Minister after Imran Khan’s withdrawal.
The Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a key ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-led coalition government, announced at a press conference in Islamabad that it had joined the opposition camp. MQM-P chief Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said, ‘We want to make a new beginning for the politics of tolerance and true democracy. The Imran government has clearly lost majority in the House by leaving it with the seven-member party MQM-P.
Another ally of the government, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), which has five MPs, announced on Monday that it had accepted the opposition’s offer to vote against the Imran government. Rashid addressed the media after the special cabinet meeting chaired by Imran Khan. Will Imran Khan resign during his address? In response to this question, Rashid said, ‘In no case, he will play till the last ball.’
Imran Khan will need 172 votes to save power
Political instability has arisen in the country after a joint no-confidence motion by the opposition parties in the National Assembly on March 8 in Pakistan. A session of the National Assembly will be held on Thursday to discuss the no-confidence motion. Imran Khan will need 172 votes in the 342-member parliament (National Assembly) to save the government. According to the news of Geo News, the MQM-P has decided to cooperate with the opposition and two of its ministers have resigned.
155 MPs of Imran Khan’s party in the House
It is being told that MQM-P MPs Farog Naseem and Aminul Haq have resigned from the ministerial posts. MQM-P leader Faizal Sabjwadi said on Wednesday that it has reached an agreement with the united opposition. Imran Khan’s (69) party has 155 MPs in the house of PTI. Imran is also facing the revolt of about two dozen MPs and challenges from allies. So far in the history of Pakistan, no prime minister has been removed through a no-confidence motion, but Imran Khan is the third prime minister to face this challenge.
Voting on no-confidence motion on April 3
Earlier, Imran Khan gave strict instructions to the members of his party that they should either be absent in the house or not participate in the voting on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion. The vote on the no-confidence motion is likely to be held on April 3. Imran came to power in 2018 promising to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’, but the government’s failure to control the rampant inflation gave the opposition an opportunity against the government. So far no prime minister in Pakistan has completed a five-year term.