No-Confidence Move Against Imran: Opposition Goes The Whole Hog

Around the time Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was in Russia soaking in the ‘excitement’, the opposition back home held a series of meetings, planning for its no-confidence move against the PM. Top PPP leaders—Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari—and Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) president Maulana Fazlur Rehman met PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif at the latter’s Lahore home; his elder brother and former PM Nawaz Sharif joined in from London through video-conferencing. The opposition plans to bring in a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan next month. The PPP has been tasked with getting government allies such as PML-Q, MQM and BAP on board. In the meeting, the names of around 25 members of parliament who are apparently willing to break away from the ruling coalition were presented. The opposition camp is going all out to ensure the government falls so all options are on the table. Zardari is said to have hosted a dinner for PML-Q ministers where politics dominated the menu. The guests were advised that should they choose to remain in power now, they would be at the receiving end of public anger in the next elections.