PM Imran Khan loses majority as MQMP strikes deal with opposition

ISLAMABAD: In a major development, the joint opposition on Tuesday night reached an agreement with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQMP).

After the MQMP and joint opposition's delegation reached the agreement, Opposition Leader in the National Assembly and President PMLN Shehbaz Sharif, former President Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, President PDM and chief of JUIF Maulana Fazlur Rehman also reached the residence of Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui at the Parliament Lodges.

The press conference that was scheduled to be held on Tuesday was postponed and Secretary Information PPP Faisal Karim Kundi announced that the press conference will now be held today (Wednesday) at 4pm. According to sources, the final announcement will be made after the approval of the Rabita Committee of the MQM.

Senior leader of the MQM Senator Faisal Sabzwari also confirmed through his twitter account the agreement between the united opposition and Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan has been finalised and after the ratification of the proposed agreement by the PPP CEC and MQM Pakistan Coordination Committee, media will be informed tomorrow at 6pm.

If the MQM has decided to join the opposition, it seems Prime Minister Imran Khan has presumably lost majority in the National Assembly before the final count of the no-confidence motion.

With the announcement of the MQM joining the opposition, the opposition is leading the numbers game with 175 members while the government has 164 members. The PTI has 155 members, PMLQ 4, GDA 3, BAP 1 (Zubaida Jalal) and AML 1. While the opposition would have 175 members on its side, including PMLN’s 84, PPP 56, MQMP 7, MMA 14 (minus JI’s Maulana Chitrali), Independent 3 (minus Ali Wazir), PMLQ (Tariq Bashir Cheema) 1, ANP 1, BNPM 4, BAP 4 and JWP 1.

PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari also confirmed through his Twitter account writing that that the united opposition and MQMP have reached an agreement. MQMP Rabta Committee PPP CEC will ratify the agreement. “We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow [Wednesday] Insha Allah. Congratulations Pakistan,” he said.

MQMP leader Faisal Sabzwari also confirmed that the accord with the joint opposition has been given final touches.

 The opposition will get majority without dissidents of the PTI as two major allied parties of the government, BAP with four members out of five, MQM, seven votes, Shazain Bugti and Independent MNA from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani have collectively 13 votes. The joint opposition delegation included Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Khawaja Muhammad Asif, Syed Naveed Qamar, Senator Sherry Rehman, Murtaza Wahab, Saeed Ghani, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haidri, Khawaja Saad Rafique, Akhtar Mengal, Ayaz Sadiq and other leaders while the MQM delegation comprised Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Aamir Khan, Wasim Akhtar, Kanwar Naveed Jamil, Aminul Haq, Faisal Sabzwari and Khawaja Izharul Hassan and Kishwar Zehra.

The decision to send a delegation of the opposition to the MQM was taken in the meeting of the joint opposition that was chaired by Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, Chairman PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chief BNP (Mengal) Sardar Akhtar Mengal, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Hamza Shahbaz, Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri and other opposition leaders, which was held at the residence of Shehbaz Sharif.