Rocking the boat: Threatening tides loom over the PTI’s tsunami

Dissenting group in provincial assembly rakes up members of the lower house.

PESHAWAR:

The boats navigating through Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ‘tsunami’ seem to be in choppy waters.

Besides the 22 members of the provincial assembly, who have reportedly formed a forward bloc, the dissenting group has also attracted 12 PTI members from the National Assembly. This has created a stir in the party’s central leadership which is scrambling to get the situation under control, insiders told The Express Tribune.

The dissenting group, during a meeting held in Peshawar, has decided to hold a meeting with party chief Imran Khan to voice their grievances, said sources. They maintained the future course of this forward bloc’s actions depends on the outcome of this moot.

“I am really worried about the situation since PTI seems to be in trouble in the province. The disgruntled members have surfaced like a tsunami 2.0,” said one party member, even predicting the provincial government’s fall if the situation is not controlled.

Though the party member avoided calling the group a forward bloc, he said the “likeminded” faction was “enraged enough” to move a resolution for a vote of no-confidence,  which could result in the replacement of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak. He added the opponents of PTI would not sit idle and may take this opportunity to topple the government if provided with one.

“The tsunami emerged with the slogan of ‘abhi nahin toh kabhi nahin’ (now or never). But this tsunami 2.0 has also burnt their boats by raising the slogan of ‘come join us’, which clearly suggests how aggrieved the disgruntled members are,” said the insider. He claimed these parliamentarians were in close contact with those occupying the opposition benches in the provincial assembly.

The party member admitted the PTI has already been facing immense resistance from the opposition. “They (the opposition) are closely monitoring the situation and keeping a watch on the rifts within the ranks of the ruling party. The opposition is likely to submit a requisition for a provincial assembly session during which the PTI will come under fire.”

Sources said Qurban Ali was leading this likeminded group and also enjoys the support of Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and former health minister Shaukat Yousafzai since both have expressed reservations over the reshuffling in the provincial cabinet.

According to those privy to the matter, the PTI chairman was losing his grip; a silent revolution was stirring to oppose the inclusion of businessmen and billionaires who the others think have taken over the party.

Knocking on the chairman’s door

Qurban told journalists on Wednesday they “expected justice” from the party chairman, adding that the provincial government could not successfully address their grievances. “This is our internal issue and we are going to knock at Khan’s court for justice because we expect him to deliver.”

Sources had earlier claimed a dissenting faction under the name of PTI ‘Nazriati’ was expected to emerge since many loyal supporters had been expressing grievances, but could not publicly complain.

Fourteen lawmakers on Tuesday formed a forward bloc led by Qurban in the assembly. MPA Javed Naseem was also among those taking exception to the inference of senior party leaders in the recent appointment of ministers and advisers in the cabinet.

You’re in or you’re out

Legal expert Athar Minallah said constitutional requirements bar party members from voting against their party in Parliament, adding neither can the members jump ship. “If you have reached Parliament after obtaining a ticket from a particular party, you cannot vote against it, neither can you disagree. In principle, you should resign or you are disqualified.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2014.