Pak PM Imran Khan defers his address to nation, opposition declares unity
Imran Khan faces ouster after his government was reduced to minority with critical ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement joining the opposition ranks. The opposition has now 177 members in the National Assembly, enough to unseat the PTI government.
Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's address to the nation has been deferred, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf leader Faisal Javed Khan said. There were murmurs of the 69-year-old leader stepping down as the prime minister during his address to the nation ahead of the no-confidence motion in the assembly.
However, Pakistan information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chaudhry rejected speculations of resignation saying that Imran Khan will fight till the last ball. Imran Khan faces ouster after his government was reduced to minority with critical ally Muttahida Qaumi Movement joining the opposition ranks. The Karachi-based party has seven members. Both the MQM ministers also quit the federal cabinet.
“He has to resign, he can't keep running for long. Parliament Session is tomorrow, let's have the voting tomorrow and settle the matter so that we can go ahead,” Pakistan People's Party chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said during a joint press conference with PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, Fazlur Rehman and MQM leader Khalid Maqbool.
In the 342-member Pakistan Assembly, the opposition now has a strength of 177 members, enough to unseat Imran Khan from power. Contrary to this, the PTI along with allies has just 164 members.
The PTI had managed to placate PML-Q by announcing Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi as the chief minister of Punjab, with incumbent CM Usman Buzdar resigning after a no-confidence motion was moved against him. However, Balochistan Awami Party with five members crossed over to the opposition.
