In another bid to bring the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) to support the No Confidence Motion, PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif met the Chaudhry brothers, at their residence in Punjab's capital, Lahore
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari have already met the Chaudhry brothers — Chaudhry Shujat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi — at their residence, as the Opposition seeks to oust the incumbent government reported the Dawn.
"Back us in our bid to bring a no-confidence motion against [PM Imran Khan]. The Opposition has a unanimous stance that the government should go home," sources quoted Shabaz as per the Dawn.
The PML-Q has ten members in the Punjab Assembly and five in the National Assembly. Usman Buzdar was elected chief minister in 2018 with a thin margin of just three votes with the support of the PML-Q and some independent MPAs as the PTI was runner-up in Punjab.
Thus support of the PML Q is essential for a no confidence motion to succeed in the Punjab as well as the National Assembly where the ruling PTI has a narrow lead.
Background
The opposition in Pakistan has been attempting to get rid of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek Insaaf government (PTI) for some time now.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) was formed with this purpose and united all the opposition parties but the front did not last as there were differences over resignation by the members of the national and the provincial assemblies after the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) did not agree to the same.
The PDM principal agenda was to force the government to resign by organising massive protests in the streets but this did not work even though large meetings were organised across the country in the last two years.
The PPP has come up with the plan for a Non Confidence Motion with the support of the Chaudhry’s in Punjab.
PPP is also in touch with the Jehangir Tareen faction of the PTI with around 30 members of the Punjab assembly and eight in the national assembly who can be wooed away for toppling Mr Khan.
This grand plan was discussed by PPP and PML-N leaders on February 05 after a luncheon meeting in the Model Town residence of PML N President Shahbaz Sharif where he had invited PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
The PML N Vice President Maryam Sharif was also present during the meeting and has arranged a call between her father Mr Nawaz Sharif presently on medical treatment in the UK and the PPP Co Chair Asif Ali Zardari.
On the face of it toppling the PTI government in the Punjab or National Assembly is a viable option as the government has a very slender majority while the opposition is in a majority in the Senate.
But the opposition claims that the Establishment that is the Pakistan Army and the ISI have been coercing members to support the PTI in important legislation. Thus, a no-confidence motion is not viable.
PPP has however failed to seek the support of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) on the no-trust motion thus leading to the same being now a damp squib.
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