Defeat of anti-PTI motion a win-win situation for all

ISLAMABAD: Voting in the National Assembly, if it takes place resulting in the defeat of a resolution seeking ouster of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators for absence beyond permissible period, will be a win-win for all the parties to the dispute.
Put together, the thirty-seven votes of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Jamiat Ulemae Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) in the 342-member Lower House of Parliament is too small a number to carry through the resolution.
The PTI will rejoice the failure of the motion simply because of escaping the punishment at a time when it is under a lot of pressure due to the rejection of its cause by the inquiry commission. It had built up its entire case on the poll rigging mantra, which finally collapsed like a house of cards, leaving it bewildered and dazed.
It is quite clear by now that all the PTI lawmakers including their chief Imran Khan wish to retain their seats regardless of the boos and jeers they are facing from different political circles. Even at the time of tendering their resignations, they had faced fissures, leading to some embarrassing desertions.
By taking an explicit stand on the resolution and ultimately voting against it if that stage came, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) especially Prime Minister Nawaz will assert that grave differences with the PTI and its unprecedentedly cruel bashing apart, it wants to keep Imran Khan’s team in the National Assembly. PML-N is no doubt more tormented and agonised than all the other political parties for what the PTI had done and said about its top leadership and government during the sit-in. Obviously, in opposing the motion also lies the PML-N’s expediency not to explode unnecessary political instability, which the ouster of the PTI MPs on technical grounds will certainly spawn. Ensuing by-elections within sixty days to fill these seats will provide the PTI a chance to rejuvenate through its intensive campaigning.
For a change, the prime minister has acted as the leading dove in this case although several hawkish elements within his own party insisted on teaching a lesson to the PTI. Such a conciliatory line is befitting the person occupying the highest office although he had proved to be the principal hardliner in some cases.
By opposing the resolution, the PML-N can claim that whatever it has done after the report of the inquiry commission and is doing now is intended to show that it is tolerant and pursuing the policy of forgiving, outlined by the prime minister in his ‘victory’ speech in the wake of the findings of the commission.
Nawaz Sharif and his team have held more than one meeting with the top MQM and JUI-F leaders urging them to change their mind. A mocking PTI circle has viewed with serious suspicion even this sincere effort and alleges that the ruling party is deliberately prolonging the solution to distress it. The government is endeavouring to avoid the stage of voting on the motion.
The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), which has consistently dismissed the passage of the resolution, will also relish in a win-win situation saying that although it received lethal drubbing from the PTI, it did not want to penalise the PTI lawmakers by throwing them out of the National Assembly. It is a democratic approach. All the other opponents of the motion, which were also severely insulted and maligned by Imran Khan during his protest, will project similar claims.
The MQM and JUI-F, the co-sponsors of the motion, which are sticking to their view, will declare even after their defeat on the floor that they stood up and were counted on a thoroughly legal and constitutional issue. They are equally pained because of Imran Khan’s perpetual harangue, and are resolute to avenge their insult.
For some time, the PTI has halted attacks on the JUI-F, but it continues to lock horns with the MQM in Pakistan as well as in London, escalating their confrontation. The MQM is under more pressure because of the targeted operation in Karachi than the PTI due to the findings of the inquiry commission.
The JUI-F and MQM are standing despite the fact that they know that their motion cannot sail through because of their low numerical strength. They are out to rub the PTI nose into dust by reminding the undemocratic trajectory it had adopted during its agitation. But at the same time, they have their own wish lists to realise. However, they have found no takers of their stand from the entire National Assembly. The motion will come up for consideration or voting on Tuesday.