ISLAMABAD: Amid growing ruptures within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party and strenuous efforts by the prime minister to contain the damage in time to fight the no-confidence vote against him, a confident Imran Khan on Thursday said his government was firm on the political front.
His views came during a meeting with Punjab Governor Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar and Chief Minister Usman Buzdar in Lahore where he arrived on a day-long tour to soothe relations between the chief minister and the PTI legislators in the province demanding his removal.
وزیراعظم عمران خان سے گورنر پنجاب @ChMSarwar اور وزیراعلیٰ پنجاب @UsmanAKBuzdar کی ملاقات: ملاقات میں ملکی سیاسی صورتحال پر تفصیلی گفتگو
صوبے کے انتظامی امور اور جاری ترقیاتی منصوبوں پر پیش رفت پر گفتگو
pic.twitter.com/0xTvOeShli— CM Punjab Updates (@CMPunjabPK) March 10, 2022
A group of some two dozen MPs led by disgruntled PTI leader Jahangir Tareen, who earlier this week welcomed another estranged party MP Aleem Khan to the fold, has ramped up the pressure on Khan, demanding Buzdar’s removal and discussing a possible no-confidence motion in the house to oust him.
On Wednesday, a six-member delegation of the posse, led by provincial minister Nauman Langrial, discussed the motion with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi, who is also the leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), and sought guidance whether the disgruntled members could submit such a motion or not.
Reportedly, the group also sought the PML-Q’s support to remove the Buzdar government. But Elahi did not commit anything and agreed to stay in touch with the MPs.
However, the prime minister, in his meeting with Buzdar and Sarwar, said the most important political matters will take place in Islamabad given the fact the National Assembly is situated there.
“A detailed discussion on Punjab’s political situation will be held after due diligence,” Khan said during the meeting.
The meeting also discussed the latest political situation and administrative matters among other matters, Radio Pakistan reported.
Members of the federal cabinet Asad Umar, Shafqat Mahmood, Hammad Azhar, Khusro Bakhtiar and Shah Mahmood Qureshi are also with the prime minister in Lahore.
Khan is expected to hold a meeting of the parliamentary party to seek assurance of the party members and address their grievances ahead of crucial voting on the motion, Geo News reported.
BRING ON THE CHALLENGE
The prime minister has vowed to fight any move to unseat him. “Whatever they do, I’m ready for that,” he told a gathering in Islamabad.
In 2018, Khan and his party campaigned on promises to end widespread graft while building an “Islamic welfare state”.
“First of all, we will start strict accountability. I promise to my God that everyone who looted this country will be made accountable,” he said in a divisive speech in parliament after the elections.
He faced myriad challenges including militant extremism, water shortages, and a rapidly growing population negating growth in the developing country, among others.
Most pressing was a looming economic crisis, with the government finding itself forced to seek a bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on unpopular terms, resulting in soaring prices and inflation.
In March last year, he survived a vote of confidence by the parliament securing 178 votes in the 340-seat House through an open ballot.
Today, opposition leaders claim Khan has lost public support as he struggles with inflation, a rising current account deficit and depleting foreign reserves.
He has responded to economic problems with cuts in fuel and electricity prices, while rejecting calls to step down and warning the opposition of unspecified consequences if they force a vote of no-confidence.
Both the opposition and Khan’s party are riven by factions. Khan won a confidence vote last year by six votes.
The next general elections are due by 2023.
