Third force may take shape in the process

Imran Khan decides to personally contact parties after Muharram

KARACHI: With the PTI adamant on changing the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, political consultations for the purpose may well unite parties, opposed to the PML-N and the PPP, into a third force.

According to sources, Imran Khan, the PTI chief, is busy in consultations with political parties in a bid to give a tough time to the PML-N and the PPP in the next general election.

The PTI’s target is to complete the formation of a third force before the general election, claims the sources, adding that the party is going to start with the formation of political and electoral alliance inclusive of every single party which is an opponent of the PML-N and the PPP.



Getting united to change the opposition leader in the National Assembly may well turn out to be a launch pad for the formation of a third force, featuring the PTI and other parties.

For the purpose, the PTI chief has decided that he will personally contact the opposition parties after Muharram. He will contact parliamentary leadership of the MQM-P, the PML-Q, the JI and other parties to convince them to change the opposition leader, and break the supposed friendly relation between the PML-N and the PPP before the appointment of the NAB chairman and setting up of the caretaker government.

According to the sources, a multi-party conference can be called and the parties opposing the PML-N and the PPP will be invited to discuss and finalise the orgainsation of the alliance. The PTI leadership will also contact APML chief Pervez Musharraf. Consultations in this regard will start in November.

 

As for unseating Khursheed Shah, if the opposition parties do not agree on the name of Khan or Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a leader from the opposition will be nominated for the post after consultation with all opposition parties, according to the sources.

The PTI has so far failed to convince the MQM-P and the AML to support Qureshi as new opposition leader. The party has, therefore, changed its strategy, with Khan deciding to personally speak to political parties and if the numbers are favourable then a no-confidence movement will be tabled in the National Assembly to unseat Khursheed Shah.