Pak crisis: Imran Khan 'fights till last ball, won't resign', says minister

In a 'power show' rally in Islamabad on Sunday, Imran Khan brandished a letter, saying that the letter contained the 'proof' that he was being threatened by 'foreign elements' who seek to topple his government. Khan had announced that he would share the letter with 'senior journalists' and 'key allies' later today.

Amid mounting pressure on Imran Khan with some allies leaving the ruling coalition ahead of the no-confidence vote, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Tuesday said the Pakistan Prime Minister will not resign as 'he is a player who fights till the last ball'. "Prime Minister Imran Khan is a player who fights till the last ball. He will not resign, friends and foes, all will see," Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet in Urdu.

Imran Khan, according to reports, has announced that he would share the letter containing the 'proof' that he was being threatened by 'foreign elements' who seek to topple his government with 'senior journalists' and 'key allies' later today. Khan is in a precarious position, with the voting on the no-confidence motion expected on April 3.

The ruling PTI got another major shock when one of its key allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) quit the ruling coalition and joined ranks with the Opposition. After this development, the government has lost its majority in the lower house of the Pakistan parliament and even in the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, which is expected to take place on April 3, Geo TV reported.

With 177 members, the Opposition has now more numbers of supporters in the national assembly and they don’t need the support of disgruntled PTI MNAs. While on other hand the Pakistani government has only 164 members in the parliament. The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172. The PTI-led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members, but now, after MQM-P left the party, PTI is standing with 164 members in support and the Opposition has now 177 members of supporters in the national assembly and they don’t need the support of disgruntled PTI MNAs.

The MQM-P’s decision to support the Opposition came after both sides signed a draft prepared by Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab. The signatories also include the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and Pakistan People’s Party Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

In a 'power show' rally in Islamabad on Sunday, Imran Khan brandished a letter, saying that the letter contained the 'proof' that he was being threatened by 'foreign elements' who seek to topple his government. He is expected to share the contents of the letter today. The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172.

The PTI-led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members - Imran Khan's PTI has 155 members and other major allies including Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) have some 20 seats. Imran Khan's situation is precarious given that three of the four allies - MQM-P, PML-Q, and BAP have stated their support for the opposition's no-confidence motion and said that they will vote accordingly.

The opposition parties in Pakistan are seen to have the support of 162 members of the house and are expected to be joined by the three ruling coalition parties during the vote, helping them cross the majority mark. The no-confidence motion was tabled in the house on March 28 with the support of 161 members of the house.