Beginning of the end for Imran’s govt

ISLAMABAD: The beginning of Imran Khan government’s end started on Wednesday when the combined opposition demonstrated the support of nearly 199 parliamentarians, including 22 dissident members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), for the no-confidence resolution against the prime minister.

Another three PTI members including Aamir Liaquat Hussain, Farrukh Altaf and Javeria Zafar Aahir joined their dissident party colleagues at a sitting of the combined opposition, with the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) President Maulana Fazlur at the Sindh House, here on Wednesday.

The strength of members currently supporting no-confidence resolution include combined opposition 162, dissident PTI members 22, MQM 7, BAP 4, three independent members -- Aslam Bhootani, Saleh Shah and Ali Wazir, and one Jamhoori Watan Party (JWP) member.

The strength of supporters of Prime Minister Imran Khan on the other hand now has reduced to 142 including 133 PTI members, PMLQ 4, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) 3, one member each of BAP and Awami Muslim League (AML).

On the other hand, a special meeting of the federal cabinet on Wednesday decided to place the ‘threat letter’ before an in-camera session of the Parliament. In the meeting, Prime Minister Imran will swell to 100 per cent till Sunday”.

He said on Sunday 100,000 people will be present outside the Parliament House. The PTI-led government’s coalition partners, MQMP and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), were invited, but their parliamentary leaders stayed away from the cabinet meeting. The meeting was called to discuss the letter, which was shown to the forum members.

The cabinet expressed full confidence in the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan and extended all-out support to him, regretting the conduct of the opposition parties at this critical juncture, when the country had been threatened of horrendous consequences, if the no-trust motion against PM failed.

Senior anchorpersons were also invited to Prime Minister House, where they were given briefing concerning the letter while the prime minister also responded to some questions. They were told the letter was written by the Pakistani ambassador but the name of the country was neither disclosed nor where the threats were given.

Talking to the media persons here, Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain said the special cabinet meeting was held wherein under the Official Secret Act, the ‘secret letter’ was shared with the cabinet members. After, he noted, the gist of the letter was shared with the anchorpersons.

Asked about the Army Chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa’s meeting with prime minister, the minister said the meeting was held twice. However, he said neither did anyone demand resignation from the prime minister nor would he do so. “The option of resignation is not in mind,” he remarked.

He added Imran Khan believed in taking along state institutions for the country’s betterment while Nawaz Sharif was always after the state institutions in order to subjugate them. Earlier, during meeting with senior anchorpersons, the content of the letter was not shared with them and the prime minister while addressing a function, had announced showing the letter to the senior journalists later in the day.

The journalists were informed about the contents of the letter while Federal Minister Asad Umar gave briefing on this count. The prime minister reportedly said that the letter had been already shared with the top military leadership but noted that the language used in it, could not be explained.

He added the letter would be presented in the in-camera session of Parliament so that the members should know it was genuine as well as the threat was real, enabling them to have full understanding of the matter prior to going for voting on the no-trust motion.

Earlier, addressing the e-passport ceremony here, Prime Minister Imran Khan spoke on the prevailing political crisis in the country in the backdrop of the no-trust motion, and said this was nothing new in a parliamentary democracy. He noted people lost confidence in their party and that a no-confidence motion was a democratic move.

However, he insisted this (no-trust motion) was a imported conspiracy and the opposition had become a tool in the hands of foreign powers. He said it started when people from abroad started controlling Pakistan through telephone calls. “They cannot tolerate a leadership that works in the people's interest,” he insisted.

Reiterating his criticism of US 'war on terror', he said that Pakistan had paid a heavy price for its participation in it while many were unaware of the exact scale of the suffering of those living in the country's tribal areas. He explained, “We sacrificed our interests for others but they never valued it.”.

He added that he would also call one member from each ally party to show them the ‘document and prove that it is real’. “People can take whatever decision they want to. But beware of the fact that, directly or indirectly, you may become a part of a huge international conspiracy. The document would provide proof of the same,” he said.

Meanwhile, following the MQM announcement about officially joining the no-confidence motion endeavour, the joint opposition demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan, as he had lost majority in the National Assembly.

The MQM agreement with the PPP was finalised Tuesday midnight. It was formally announced by MQM Convener Rabita Committee Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui after getting approval from its Rabita Committee on Wednesday, in a joint press conference on Wednesday. Other opposition leaders present at the press conference were: opposition leader in the National Assembly and PMLN President Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, PDM President Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of BNP-Mengal Sardar Akhtar Mengal and Parliamentary leader of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) in the National Assembly Khalid Magsi.

Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui said: “We are facing a test which the national leadership has to go through; we have decided to go with the united opposition.” He said the MQM agreement with the united opposition was not conditional to cooperation on no-confidence motion. “I am announcing that we will be with the opposition in bringing about this change,” he added. He said each clause of the agreement was in the interest of people. “We put Pakistan's interest before political interest,” he added. The MQM leader said “together we will turn the struggle of missing persons into a national struggle”.

Shehbaz Sharif said, “Today is an important day in the history of Pakistan as the opposition national jirga is sitting together. “Thanks to MQM, the decision is based on the sentiments of 220 million people of Pakistan,” he said. Shehbaz said the PPP and MQM had embarked on a new journey with an open heart and open mind. “What was said by the MQM last night has been fulfilled to a great extent,” he said.

Demanding Prime Minister Imran Khan’s resignation, Shehbaz asked, “Why don't you resign after losing the numerical strength. When an elected prime minister loses his majority, he should resign and go home,” he added.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari expressed his gratitude to the MQM. He said the MQM had taken a historic decision by supporting the united opposition and prioritising the country. “The working relationship between PPP and the MQM has no link with the no-confidence,” he said, adding that the PPP and MQM have to work together for benefit of the country.

The PPP chairman said the dialogue between the PPP and the MQM had not begun just now, as it was his long-standing desire for the two parties to work together. “I am grateful that we have come to a result that allows for such a journey,” he said.

Bilawal said every party that joined the opposition alliance earlier had faced a conspiracy. However, he said the conspiracy that caused distances between the PPP and the MQM harmed not only Karachi but the entire country. “Now that the nation’s leadership is on one page, we will take steps to help the country get rid of the crisis,” he added.

Demanding the resignation of Imran Khan, Bilawal said he (PM) had lost his majority. Bilawal said “we have challenged Imran Khan to resign, as he is no longer the prime minister.

“Imran Khan has been left with no option. The parliament’s session is tomorrow [Thursday], and voting should be conducted so that the journey of Pakistan’s progress and restoration of the economy and democracy can begin,” he said.

The PPP chairman said the MQM had joined the opposition ranks; Aslam Bhootani joined it a day earlier, BAP [Balochistan Awami Party] the day before, and before that the JWP. “I thank all political parties present on the occasion, especially Shehbaz Sharif, who would soon be the country’s next prime minister,” he said.

He said: “It will be recorded in history how an undemocratic government, which was imposed on us, was driven out via democratic means.”

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, head of the Pakistan Democratic Movement, said that the entire PDM and the opposition welcomed the MQM decision. He said the drama started three-and-a-half years ago was seeing its drop scene now. He said the politics of disrespect shook the foundations of society. “Don't make dramas. No one threatened you. What is your status? What are you talking about to make yourself big,” he asked. The Maulana said that due to the MQM and BAP, the opposition number had increased to 175, while we need 172 for success.

Chief of BNP-Mengal Sardar Akhtar Mengal said that because of goodwill of the PPP and the MQM, the opposition was now in a position to send Imran packing. “I had earlier said he will not be bowled out or being caught but out through hit wicket,” he said. He also demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Imran Khan and said he had lost his majority in the house. “People are not interested to buy the theories of foreign conspiracy,” he said. He said “we neither want Naya Pakistan nor old Pakistan, but a Pakistan where no one goes missing”.

Earlier, prior to the press conference, both members of MQMP serving as federal ministers -- Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque -- stepped down from their posts, hours after the party's announcement to side with the opposition in the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Meanwhile, the opposition leader Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif will chair a joint parliamentary meeting of the opposition parties in a committee room of the Parliament House at 3 pm before start of Thursday's proceedings on Thursday afternoon (today). As announced by the Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri on Monday, the House will start debate on the no-confidence resolution on Thursday afternoon.