Pak Politics Turn Ugly as Imran Khan Confronts Opposition

Even before the vote on the no-confidence motion, nearly two dozen unhappy PTI MNAs stepped out in the open, escalating Prime Minister Imran Khan’s power struggle. Politics of no confidence have become tangled.

Taking refuge at Sindh House in the federal capital, several of PTI’s MNAs gave interviews to various anchorpersons, stating that they had broken with the ruling party and would not run for office on a PTI ticket in the upcoming elections.

When one of them reported that three federal ministers had already departed the PTI, that added salt to the ruling party’s wounds.

In an interview with a private TV channel’s anchorperson, PTI’s estranged member Raja Riaz revealed that roughly 24 unhappy ruling party MNAs were sleeping at the Sindh House, fearing government action similar to the raid on the Parliament Lodges by Islamabad police a week ago. PTI’s cracks have become so apparent.

Riaz, who had joined the camp of exiled PTI politician Jahangir Khan Tareen, said he was willing to return to the Parliament Lodges if the PM informed him that the police would not retaliate against him.

Riaz declared the MPs were not missing, and that they were in Islamabad, claiming that they disagreed with Prime Minister Imran and his policies. “The PTI’s problems are because of its inept advisers and helpers,” he continued.

If anyone had any doubts about the 24 MNAs, he said they were “more than welcome” to convene a parliamentary committee hearing and check the results for themselves.

Riaz, Noor Alam Khan, Malik Nawab Sher Washer, Ramesh Kumar, and others denied getting money from the opposition in exchange for switching sides.

They grieved that they had been speaking out against corruption for the past three and a half years, but that no one had listened.

MNA Noor Alam Khan had been vocal about his dissatisfaction for some time and had even requested that the names of the members in the top three rows of the treasury benches, including Prime Minister Imran, be added to the Exit Control List.

Rana Qasim Noon, Ghaffar Wattoo, Riaz Mazari, Basit Bukhari, Khawaja Sheraz, Ahmad Hasan Dehar, Nuzhat Pathan, and Wajeeha Qamar are among the PTI members now at Sindh House, according to sources.

Ramesh Kumar of the PTI stated that 33 members of the assembly, including three federal ministers, had pulled out from the ruling party. It was stressed that the prime minister should resign immediately.

Kumar said he sought refuge at Sindh House because his wife had been threatened at Parliament Lodges, and he had sought protection from Sindh Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah.

Another PTI MNA, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, stated that the “government has missed its opportunity” to bring the political situation back to normal. “Governments do not have rallies; they conduct talks.”

He said to local radio that “they [government] should have settled the situation through political negotiations… this is not a Hitler regime.”

The allegations of bribery and coercion came after Prime Minister Imran alleged in a public address that opposition leaders were sitting in the Sindh House with “hundreds of dollars” to buy treasury lawmakers’ loyalty.

The premier has requested that the election commission investigate this “horse-trading.”
The country was thrown into political turmoil barely a day after the Prime Ministers’ declaration when unhappy members stepped out in the open and rejected the charges, claiming that they were staying at Sindh House for safety reasons and had not received a single dime.

They also stated that they would vote on the motion of no confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan “under their conscience.”

The dissenting members’ interviews and footage was shown on television networks showing them present at Sindh House came when the opposition parties, including Sindh’s ruling party, were attempting to depose the PTI government through a no-trust motion.

PPP leaders claimed the government was planning an attack on Sindh House since the opposition had detained certain ruling party MPs there before the vote on the no-confidence resolution against the prime minister.

Prior to that, PML-Q leader and Punjab Assembly Speaker Parvez Elahi stated in an interview that the opposition had “secure custody” of 10 to 12 government MPs.

The PML-Q leader claimed these lawmakers had approached him but were now missing.

“We have located them. They are secure in the hands of the opposition. In fact, the government is more concerned about them. Those to whom they turned for assistance have said that they are neutral. No friendly country or organisation will even come close to this,” the PML-Q leader declared.