ISLAMABAD
Major developments kept occurring Sunday as the joint-opposition filed ‘no-confidence’ motion against incumbent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
In a bid to oust the ruling PTI, opposition parties on Sunday surged their political moves and tactics, provoking the government to strategize its moves also. In a major development, local media reported that deadlock between opposition parties and government’s allies, mainly the PML-Q vanished Sunday as the two major opposition parties, the PPP and PML-N were agreed on awarding Punjab CM slot to PML-Q.
Media reports claimed a contact between PML-N supreme leader Nawaz Sharif, PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. After due consultation, the opposition’s ‘big three’ have agreed on giving Chief Minister’s slot to PML-Q’s Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who is currently Punjab Assembly’s Speaker as a government ally.
Sources claimed Sunday JUI-F and the PDM head Fazlur Rehman assured PML-N of PML-Q’s ‘cooperation’ as the prior was reluctant of committing the move.
On the other hand, government received another political dent as seven of its lawmakers reportedly established contacts with ‘deteriorating’ PML-Q leadership. Sources claimed that government lawmakers assured PML-Q leadership of their support during their meetings with PML-Q leadership in past three days.
National Assembly’s secretariat has also given a ‘green signal’ to opposition’s move. Sources said Sunday verification of opposition lawmakers’ signatures on the motion and requisition was completed by the NA secretariat and the file has been forwarded to NA Speaker.
Well-placed sources from National Assembly said the much-anticipated NA session could be convened any day before March 22.
On another front, another government ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) matters are getting settled with the opposition as MQM’s demands have been accepted by joint-opposition. PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has agreed on MQM’s share in Sindh and Federal government.
Adding to that, a private news channel reported Sunday The Jahangir Khan Tareen faction of the PTI has decided “in principle to support the no-confidence motion” submitted by the Opposition against PM Imran Khan in the National Assembly.
The publication reported that the group of lawmakers, led by estranged PTI leader Jahangir Khan Tareen, has also decided to back the Opposition when they file the no-trust move against Punjab CM Usman Buzdar.
News channel quoted sources as saying that faction has decided to support Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi’s nomination as Punjab chief minister if the Opposition supports the PML-Q leader.
Officials said that the faction has 8 to 10 MNAs and 22 to 26 MPAs in Punjab, adding that the camp was not interested in supporting Aleem Khan due to several reasons.
PPP leaders in a press conference on Sunday demanded putting prime minister’s name on Exit Control List (ECL) and also asked National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to step down for being ‘biased’ or the opposition would remove him through a no-confidence motion.
Addressing a joint press conference in Islamabad on Sunday with Syed Naveed Qamar and Faisal Karim Kundi, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman directed her criticism to Prime Minister Imran Khan and said that his countdown had begun. “It’s opposition’s super over now as the entire country has expressed its distrust in the government,” she pointed out.
