Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Tuesday dissuaded a small but influential opposition party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) from submitting a no-confidence motion against the K-P chief minister, who represents Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
A delegation of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), led by party chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman, called on the prime minister at the PM House on Tuesday.
Although the official handout only suggested that “matters relating to national and political situation” were discussed, sources close to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz said that the JUI-F chief had actually prepared a plan to topple the PTI-led government. The prime minister was told at Tuesday’s meeting that the JUI-F had acquired the support of a majority of K-P Assembly members, including 15 disgruntled PTI legislators.
But the prime minister immediately shot down the plan, saying his government was already pursuing a hands-off policy on any provincial government, even those that were hostile to the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz. Instead, the PM Nawaz asked the JUI-F to wait and watch PTI’s performance in the province, sources said.
After the meeting the JUI-F chief held a press conference and announced that all the opposition parties in the K-P Assembly have decided not to pursue the ‘no confidence motion’ filed against Pervaiz Khattak.
“The aim and objective of the ‘no-confidence motion’ was to thwart the PTI’s possible attempt to dissolve the K-P Assembly and this aim has been achieved,” Fazl told reporters.
Forty-eight opposition members in the K-P Assembly had submitted the motion in August and forwarded it to the K-P assembly’s speaker, chief minister and the K-P Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan.
Maulana Fazl, however, demanded that the K-P governor should hold the CM Khattak accountable for the PTI’s civil disobedience movement, attempts to clash with federal government and rebellion call against federation.
Talking to The Express Tribune, the JUI-F’s spokesperson Jan Achakzai said the K-P governor would soon write a letter to the CM and present the above charge-sheet. He said all opposition parties had decided not to pursue the no-trust motion as it was not the right time.
“The opposition parties will first create a political environment – through letters and other means – and then move a fresh ‘No Confidence Motion’,” he said, adding that the K-P opposition would try to present the motion before the upcoming Senate elections, which are scheduled for March 2015.
He said that the timing for the motion would be decided in consultation with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which is a major opposition party in the K-P.
However, sources in the PML-N said it is the party’s stated policy not to topple the PTI led K-P government at any cost. In Senate elections next year, 12 senators will be elected from the K-P and it will not be a big issue for the federal government if nine of them belong to the PTI, they said.
At present, in the 124-member KP Assembly, the PTI has 55 seats, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has eight seats, Awami Jamhori Ittehad (AJI) has five seats, the PML-N and the JUI-F have 17 seats each, Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party have five seats each and Qaumi Wattan Party has ten seats. Two seats are occupied by independent members.
The government alliance – comprising the PTI, the AJI, the JI and independents – have a strength of 70 seats while the opposition alliance – the JUI-F, the PML-N, the QWP, the PPP and the ANP – have 54 members. Sixty-three members are required to oust the K-P chief minister.
Announcement in Peshawar
After a meeting in Peshawar, opposition parties in the K-P Assembly also announced not to pursue a ‘no confidence motion’ against the CM.
According to sources, the K-P Assembly’s Leader of Opposition Lutfur Rehman informed the participants that the K-P Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser had requested them on behalf of the PTI and the JI to withdraw the resolution.
A final decision in this regard will be made in a meeting on Wednesday (today) with the K-P Assembly speaker.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 22nd, 2014.
COMMENTS (19)
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p.m should allow them to complete five years. so they go for votes in next elections on base of their performance in kpk.
It's quite well known that the KPK CM engineered the no confidence motion against his own government in the early days of the dharna so it would become technically impossible for him to be forced to dissolve his assembly as part of PTI tactics against the federal government. Therefore this was hardly a PML-N attack against Khattak's government. And even if Khattak's government were to fall, that won't trigger new elections. The KPK governor would ask the assembly to choose a new leader, and Khattak would continue functioning until such time as that is done. Given PTI doesn't have a majority on its own, electing a new leader from within the house is entirely possible.
No one needs to topple KPK government...their party leader is doing enough to serve this purpose for them..
Please have the recent addition to the assets of Reporter Abdul Manan checked. Thank you.
They know PTI completely out of Assemblies is 100 times more dangerous for their badshahat as PTi will attack and pursue new elections with its full force. Also if KPK govt toppled, re-election would wipe all parties from KPK. so they will never do it , thinking about there own interest.
Good. This is the way forward in DEMOCRACY. Time to not repeat history.
Let them complete their TENURE so one can ever vote PTI. Excellent.
Another major blow to Moulana Disel.
"Gauge and watch PTI's performance...". And how/who gauges PM's own performance.
Good move. NS is a pragmatic leader.
I wish the KPK government is toppled. So in the next elections PTI could come in with a full majority. As for those 15 PTI MPA's who did not get development funds. You will not be seen again in the party in the next elections.
GO NAWAZ GO.
So the PM is trying to buy out PTI. That will never ever happen. We stand against Status quo and we will never make a deal. Our trust is in IK. Coz he speaks the Truth.
Nice try Mr.PM but we all know that the Opposition has not enough votes to topple the KPK Government. You cannot stop a thing which is not going to happen. Please try to fool others, not us.
Imran Khan will show you what "good governance" is in KP.
Well Done Nawaz Sharif.
If lack of options could be cloaked as political maturity, PML-N would be the most mature party in Pakistan. Just like lack of policy was being touted as experience before elections, or lack of oratory and analytical skills as personal maturity. We're possibly the only nation that celebrates mediocracy.
If the KP govt is toppled then fresh KP elections will be needed and PTI will easily win simple majority. Nawaz knows too.
A good sign of political maturity and much required decency form a prime minister.
The policy of PM NS to exercise restraint even when PTI is daily hurling abuse and baseless allegations on him has won him my vote. While PTI seems frustrated NS seems to be going about with work. Ex PTI member