Imran Khan’s era in Pakistan hangs in balance

Imran Khan’s last-ditch effort by releasing the ‘gist’ of a purported letter exchanged between some Pakistani and foreign officials to oust him from power does not seem to cut much ice within the country as several commentators in Pakistan saw it as a last-minute gimmick to stay in power.

New Delhi: The fate of Pakistan’s twenty-second Prime Minister and head of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party Imran Khan hangs in balance as a key ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) broke away from the ranks with the ruling coalition and joined hands with the opposition parties. MQM’s decision to join the united opposition on Wednesday, ahead of the crucial trust vote against the 69-year-old leader turned the table against him as the ruling coalition no longer enjoys the majority in the National Assembly.

According to Pakistani media reports, a trust vote is expected to take place on Sunday (April 3). A party or coalition requires 172 votes in the lower house of Pakistan’s bicameral Parliament called Majlish-e-Shura to remain in power. After the MQM’s decision to join the opposition led by Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the ruling coalition’s strength has come down by seven members to just 164 members in the National Assembly.

With the change in the situation, 69-year-old Oxford-educated cricketer-turned-politician deferred his televised address to the nation as he blamed a conspiracy by some foreign powers to oust his government. The news of MQM-(P) breaking the ranks with Imran Khan comes a day after the embattled leader was able to win back another ally Pakistan Muslim League (Q), which has four members in the National Assembly and has deserted him.

Imran Khan sacrificed Usman Buzdar, chief minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, who was handpicked by Imran Khan to lead the politically most crucial province in the country. However, shifting loyalties due to political opportunism is not new to Pakistan’s politics. Imran Khan’s decision to sacrifice Usman Buzdar, as he offered Punjab’s chief minister-ship to Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of PML-(Q), is seen as a desperate attempt to stay in power at any cost.

It shows that the leader who often projected himself as an uncompromising and unwavering leader can be made to bend in front of an ally who has just four seats in the 342 member national assembly and just 10 seats in 371 members in the provincial assembly.

Imran Khan’s last-ditch effort by releasing the ‘gist’ of a purported letter exchanged between some Pakistani and foreign officials to oust him from power does not seem to cut much ice within the country as several commentators in Pakistan saw it as a last-minute gimmick to stay in power.