Shehbaz to discuss no-trust against Suri with opposition parties

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif is likely to hold informal discussions with the opposition parties to evolve a joint strategy for the success of no-confidence motion against Deputy Speaker National Assembly Qasim Suri, sources told The News here on Sunday.

The sources said it had yet not been decided whether Shehbaz would hold a meeting of the opposition parties or make telephonic contacts with their leaders to discuss the issue of no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker National Assembly. They said Shehbaz Sharif would seek suggestions from opposition parties, including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP) and Balochistan National Party-Mengal (BNP-M) and try to evolve a joint strategy for no-confidence motion against Qasim Suri.

Sources in the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) told this correspondent that PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif made a detailed telephonic call to former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and talked about two important issues, including strategy to give a tough time to the government in passage of annual fiscal budget and no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker National Assembly.

The sources said as far as the passage of budgets in Punjab and the Centre is concerned, the government has mended fences with Jahangir Khan Tareen’s group. The sources maintained that the outcome of no-confidence motion against the deputy speaker National Assembly would decide the future strategy of the opposition parties, especially the PML-N.

The PML-N’s sources claimed that Nawaz Sharif was not convinced of no-confidence motion but Shehbaz Sharif informed him that the joint opposition had a ‘bright’ chance to make it successful with the help of disgruntled elements in the ruling party.

“But the PML-N thinks that this is also a test case for the ‘powerful quarters’ because the opposition parties will closely monitor whether they stay neutral or make interventions to save the day for the Imran-led government,” the sources said.

They said the PPP has been consistently making contacts with PML-N to pave the way for in-house change in the Punjab and at the federal level as well, adding “Nawaz Sharif was not convinced with the proposal of in-house change as he had reservations over alleged role of ‘powerful quarters’ in the political field.”

“If the no-confidence motion against Qasim Suri succeeds, then the joint opposition will also submit such motion against Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser. The further success can pave the way for in-house change in the Centre,” they said.