Thu 31 March 2022:
After losing the support of key allies and party dissidents, political observers say Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan is running out of options amid a no-trust motion from the opposition.
Khan, already under pressure for his handling of a struggling economy, effectively lost majority in parliament after Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), a key ally of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-led coalition government, joined the ranks of the opposition.
The combined opposition, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, submitted the motion on March 8, and voting could be held on April 3.
The PTI has 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly and needs at least 172 lawmakers to hold power.
About two dozen of his own lawmakers have also announced support to the opposition, which now claims to have majority in the lower house and has called on the premier to step down.
Khan has claimed that an “international conspiracy” was hatched to dislodge his government because of its “independent foreign policy.”
“In terms of number game, Imran Khan has lost the majority, and he too knows that very well,” Mazhar Abbas, a Karachi-based political commentator, told Anadolu Agency. “The best and honorable way for him is to resign and call snap elections.”
The government has also filed a petition in the Supreme Court to determine whether dissident votes against the prime minister can be declared invalid.
Under the law, parliamentarians who defect could lose their seats if they choose to vote against their party.
Abbas believes the court judgement may not come to his rescue. “Even if the Supreme Court declares dissidents’ votes invalid and disqualifies them for life, the departure of the government’s allies has sealed his (Khan) fate,” he said, adding that only a miracle could save the government now.
– Rift with military?
Another factor said to have played a role in the current crisis is ‘coolness’ in Khan’s relationship with the power military, which denies any political involvement.
The appointment of a new army chief is also alleged to have been a bone of contention, which is due in November. Rumors are abound that outgoing spymaster Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed is Khan’s favorite to be the next army chief.
He is currently serving as the corps commander of Peshawar, the capital of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and has often been accused of unduly backing the premier.
Citing the opposition’s claim regarding the military’s alleged support to Khan in the 2018 elections, Abbas said: “I do not support the timing of the (no-trust) move. It was unnecessary, especially when new elections are only a year away. But, the opposition feels that if Khan is allowed to make the new key appointments, the same episode would be repeated in the 2023 elections.”
“That’s why they want to get rid of him before the new (military) appointment,” he added.
– Options
Local media claims that the military establishment is now trying to negotiate a deal between the government and the opposition to bring an end to the ongoing political upheaval.
Sajjad Mir, a Lahore based analyst, believes Khan is looking for an “honorable exit,” which the opposition says is his resignation.
“He wants some more time to dissolve the parliament and call fresh elections,” Mir said, adding that the opposition, nonetheless, is not ready for that, at least for now. “The only option left for him is to resign,” he said.
-AA
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