Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday announced that it would ask Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to secure a vote of confidence in the National Assembly (NA).
The decison comes in the wake of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s (MQM) reservations against the federal government over the issue of delimitation of constituencies ahead of the Sindh local government (LG) elections as well as Punjab Chief Minister Parvez s Elahi success in obtaining the trust vote in the Punjab Assembly.
Sources said PTI chief Imran Khan had approved the proposal to ask the PM to obtain a trust vote. “President would shortly advise the PM to obtain a vote of confidence,” the sources added. The PTI, sources said, expected the MQM to step away from voting in favour of the PM.
The MQM has seven seats in the NA. The structure of the NA suggests that the ruling coalition has 180 seats including the seven of the MQM. If the MQM pulls out of alliance, it could lead to the removal of the PM.
The MQM had been at daggers drawn with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) alliance over the issue of delimitation of constituencies in Sindh ahead of the local government (LG) elections. It had earlier hinted at pulling out of alliance. Moreover, the MQM had rejected the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold the Sindh local government (LG) polls on Jan 15.
MQM leaders including Senator Faisal Sabzwari, former law minister Farogh Nasim, Farooq Sattar and others held a press conference. Mr Sabzwari said the party was not fighting for itself but the people of Karachi. “The number of seats stipulated for Korangi Town are not proportional to the area’s population,” he added.
While mocking the political opponents, Mr Sabzwari said those who wanted elections at the earliest were in a hurry to see themselves on the mayoral seat, adding that it would not benefit them. “We will go to every length for transparent delimitation,” he added. No one among them, he said, moved courts against the delimitation.
