Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party on Wednesday lost its majority in Parliament after its key ally struck a deal with an Opposition faction ahead of the no-confidence motion against his government, PTI reported.
A no-confidence motion, tabled in the lower house, is a vote about whether a government is deemed fit to hold the position. The debate on Khan’s no-confidence motion will start on March 31.
On Wednesday, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) announced its separation from Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf government. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Pakistan) has announced its support for the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party, confirmed the development on Twitter.
“With MQM [Muttahida Qaumi Movement] announcing its support for the united opposition, our victory is certain,” he wrote. “Congratulations to the people of Pakistan. The era of selected is coming to an end. We can now, together work towards the restoration of our democracy and economic recovery.”
Bhutto said his party will work to ensure “transparent elections” to restore democracy in the country, ANI reported. He also announced that Shahbaz Sharif, brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will become the next prime minister of Pakistan.
Currently, Khan’s government is left with 164 members of the National Assembly, while the joint Opposition now has 177, ANI reported. The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark set at 172.
Meanwhile, Khan’s address to the nation scheduled for Wednesday evening was postponed, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf senator Faisal Javed Khan said.
But despite mounting pressure on the government, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that Imran Khan will not resign, ANI reported.
“Prime Minister Imran Khan is a player who fights till the last ball,” Chaudhry said.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party landed in trouble after about 100 legislators from the Opposition parties, such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and the Pakistan People’s Party, on March 8 had moved a no-confidence motion against it.
The Opposition had alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician had failed to control inflation and was responsible for the economic crisis in Pakistan.
The crisis escalated after reports emerged that more than 24 members of Khan’s party threatened to vote against him during the no-confidence motion.
On Sunday, Khan had held a big rally in Islamabad during which he had alleged “foreign conspiracy” as the reason behind the no-confidence motion against his government.
Khan had claimed that funds from abroad were channelled into Pakistan for this purpose.
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