File photo of PTI Chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO INP/FILE
Varying Positions
“PTI has not made any decision yet. But we feel that Khursheed Shah was continuously ignoring other parties sitting on opposition benches on important issues including matter relate to the chairmanship of NA parliamentary committees. We’ll be taking this issue now,” says PTI Information Secretary MNA Dr Shireen Mazari.
Other parties, including the Awami Muslim League (AML) and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) pledged their support to PTI. AML chief Sheikh Rashid said that Khursheed Shah has failed to deliver, and that he is siding with the government on important issues. “I’ll not only support PTI’s move but also convince other colleagues to vote for changing the incumbent opposition leader in the National Assembly,” he told The Express Tribune.
Professor Ibrahim of JI also pledged to support PTI, saying his party will also convince party members to vote for PTI in the National Assembly. “We will support PTI at all forums of politics,” he said.
PPP senior leader Ijaz Jakhrani said other parties reserve the right to bring a No-Confidence Motion against Khursheed Shah. “We are ready to face this move because we enjoy maximum numerical strength in the National Assembly.”
The Race to 50
Now, PTI and its allies in the National Assembly will try to replace Khursheed Shah with Imran Khan as new Leader of the Opposition, facing a tight race to gather enough votes among the opposition bench.
The numbers, as always, are tricky
PPP with 45 seats, enjoys the support of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (2 seats) and Awami National Party (2 seats), making a total of 49.
PTI has 35 seats and is aligned with Jamaat-e-Islami (4 seats), Awami Muslim League (1 seat), Qaumi Watan Party (Sherpao) (1 seat), Awami Jamhuri Ittehad Pakistan (1 seat), All Pakistan Muslim League (1 seat) and two independent seats, Jamshed Dasti from Muzaffargarh and Zain Elahi from Attock – making a total of 45.
PTI needs 50 seats to gain a majority of opposition seats in the NA. For this, PTI is hopeful of winning the support of four independent seats from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) to equal PPP’s count.
The real trick will come after this. PTI Parliamentary Leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi will also try to woo Mahmood Khan Achakzai, the chief of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), sources say, whose party has four seats in the NA.
The catch here is that the PkMAP is allied with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Balochistan government. Whether or not they will decide to vote as members of the opposition in the federal government will be a central question in the PTI’s bid for leader of the opposition.
MQM: king-makers again
Though Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) has said it will not ally with any party in the opposition, all the math surrounding the PPP-PTI race will be moot if the fourth largest party of the assembly decide to go one way or another. The party holds 24 seats in the National Assembly
MQM spokesperson Wasay Jalil said his party will continue to work in the opposition independently. “Our coordination committee will take up the matter if any move gains momentum in the National Assembly,” he said.
PPP has maintained luke-warm relations with the MQM, but in the face of mounting violence in Karachi, the city’s leading party has had a number of issues with the PPP-led provincial government.
The PTI and MQM have also had a rocky relationship – particularly in the aftermath of the May 11 elections. PTI chief Imran Khan has, on more than one occasion, berated the MQM for its alleged use of violence in Karachi.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 16th, 2013.
COMMENTS (28)
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Wow, people here still got sympathy for the most corrupt party in Pakistan PPP, who actually want an opposition leader from there party not from the clean PTI who are against corruption. Wow people seem like youre gonna vote PPP next time in the next general election. Good luck with that illiterate civilians.
Compared to any other party APML, Tully, Sherpao and Q-league all other parties are saints. These are the worst lota that have never been honest to any of their past and present allies. They are power hungry hyenas who always support every dictator or party in power. IK’s majority in KPK is based upon such lota and he enjoys full support of all these elements and official blessings of TTP. By upsetting the applecart IK would start the dirtiest politics in the history of the country and that too for a tiny post of opposition leader. Yet some think he is PM material! No sooner does he starts this filthy politics PPP and ANP would support Fazal and that would be the end of IK’s only achievement. This man who is well into his sixties should show sober and principled character.
I hope PPP wins it. I do not want Taliban representation in the parliament.
If PTI moves to dethrone Shah as Opposition Leader, there is every likelihood that PPP will need MQM's shoulders to stay afloat, which will ultimately compromise its position as operator of Karachi operation.
Secondly, instead of becoming a weak opposition leader, always prone to MQM blackmailing, Imran should instead let either Sheikh Rasheed or SMQ hold the opposition leader seat, if need be.
If Imran Khan is made Leader of the Opposition his performance will be much better than Khurshid Khan who was previously involved in various scandals. He has done corruption of millions of rupees and was involved in various corruption including making assets of billions of ruoees illegally.
Qoute The catch here is that the PkMAP is allied with the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in the Balochistan government. Whether or not they will decide to vote as members of the opposition in the federal government will be a central question in the PTI’s bid for leader of the opposition.
Bahi Shaib! Achakzai brother is the Governer in Balochistan and the CM is also from PkMAP so its very far fetched that he will be part of an opposition alliance!
MQM must watch patiently and stay out of all such feuds and don't side with one or other in this conflict between the moneyed and the elites (the exploiters of Pakistani people). Just watch them all settle it among themselves, let them show their true colours to us all, let them exhaust and hurt each other, but please don't, don't participate in their struggle to survive. Let them finish themselves thoroughly and completely. Let the people of Pakistan recognize these thugs for what they really are.
@Saleem:
Dear Brother, in the land of of the Cult of Imran David Koresh Khan; it isn't necessary for IK to make his presence felt in the Parliament since it is a forum of mere mortals. This is the same Parliament which is labelled as a criminal den by Hazrat Imranullah Mehsud. As long as IK rules the roost on facebook, the sheep herd followers would be happy :-D
Sheikh Rasheed or PTI nominee should be opposition leader and MQM leader like Mustafa Kamal should be made chairman of Public Accounts Committee. PTI should stop its shenanigans of appeasing fundos and make friends with MQM if IK wants to play crucial role in politics
@Muslim Leaguer: why donot you ask NS to do sth useful as opposition is still v weak (incl rifts) to topple govt
Though Khursheed Shah isn't an effective opposition leader, still he has a participation in assembly sessions. Imran Khan, who yet have to attend a single National Assembly session, wants to be an opposition leader? So far what has been his contribution in the assembly that he thinks that he should be elected as an opposition leader?
And why any importance is given to dead (or near dead) parties with few seats? Is it OK to upset the system by onesie & twosie parties? Let PTI, especially Imran Khan, shows some participation/contribution in National Assembly and then ask for coveted slot of opposition leader.
It would be hijacking the mandate of PPP. Having maximum number of seats in opposition, it is PPP's right not PTIs. If PTI goes for this undemocratic game and set the precedence, it might cost them KPK government where situation is not very different.
@Adnan Siddiqi:
Hold your horses til the independent Nadra vote count is done in the four cosntituencies demanded by PTI--many on the high benches (you know what I mean) will lose their seats along with whatever tattered reputation they may have left. Until then, stop the hate-filled, inane rants please! And after that, practice winning elections without the underhand tricks, if you can.
Let us hope the friendly and useless opposition leader gets kicked out
i think PTI will get JI,QWP & Sheikh Rasheed support and imran khan can become an opposition leader
Lucky PMLN ;-(
PPP will do mufahamat with MQM again.. and Karachi will be in debris again !
I am also of the view that as PPP is the single majority party so they should be given the chance, PTI should try next time to gain enough seats to grab opposition leader position.
@Adnan Siddiqi: Thanks to worst form of rigging in the history of pakistan that PTI could grab only few seats .
After indulging in horse trading in KPK Assembly and forming a Pro-Taliban "coalition" government, PTI is now eyeing Opposition Leader slot in the National Assembly with the help of swingers like Sheikh Rashid (who pledged to elect General Musharraf 10 times in uniform) and Jamshed Dasti (whose fake degree is in line with PTI trolls). No wonder it sits in the lap of MQM if another Pasha-Style rapprochement is brokered by Agencies.
Rather than playing Game of Thrones, it is better to give PPP the chance to be opposition leader since they are the single majority party in opposition.
All the talk about Tsunami and Hurricanes that was built into a crescendo by some sections of the media funded by unknown sources which also claimed that IK would sweep from across Pakistan to become the undisputed King of CHANGE - does not even have enough numbers now to become leader of the opposition and has to rely on some two bit sellout and a "has been" like Sheeda Tully for political lobbying.
I think Sheikh Rashid should be made Opposition Leader and Shah Mahmood Qureshi Deputy Opposition Leader. Imran Khan should concentrate on KPK government and party re-organisation.
Let the GAME OF THRONES begins
It is mentioned here that two votes of PML(Q) are guaranteed votes of PPPP. I think this may not be the case as PML(Q) and PTI are becoming very close and are also thinking of an alliance in upcoming local body elections in Punjab. So there is a strong possibility that PTI may grab these two votes.
Dirty game for dirty players. MQM.
I wonder what will happen to the karachi operation now. Politics will probably mean another PPP-MQM alliance which will leave karachi in ruins once again.