Second innings
The National Assembly has reposed trust in Prime Minister Imran Khan, giving him a new lease of life at the helm. As many as 178 lawmakers voted in favour of a resolution tabled in the lower house yesterday, seeking a vote of confidence for the PM. The votes Imran secured are six more than the simple majority of the House and two more than the tally he clinched when becoming the PM on August 17, 2018. The huge sigh of relief the victory afforded the PM was evident in his tone when he spoke to the House — in the absence of Opposition members who had boycotted the assembly session — in the wake of the trust vote proceedings.
The PM was at his scathing best, inflicting a fully-loaded broadside on the opposition and reiterating his ‘resolve’ to keep fighting the ‘looters of the public money’ till his last breath. His speech carried a specific mention of Asif Zardari and Nawaz Sharif laced with words of scorn. This, however, portends that the much-needed political calm — which is vital for the government itself in order to concentrate on issues of core concern like the economy, governance, internal security, etc — will continue to elude the country. The PM’s allies also spoke on the occasion — assuring their cooperation alongside mentioning their grievances.
So, has the PM come out stronger and more confident from the vote? Frankly speaking, Imran Khan’s government rests on the support of 178 MNAs which also include those 16 dissenters who had voted for Yousaf Raza Gillani in the March 3 Senate vote and who the PM has had to embrace “with open arms”. Much will, however, depend upon the government’s own performance — particularly on the economic side. Don’t forget it was the ruling party’s poor performance that paved the way for no less than 11 opposition parties to get united into PDM.
Gilani’s victory is no small dent to the government. It requires the PM to play out of his skin, as we say in cricket parlance, to undo the impact of that dent. His government will have to provide instant relief to the masses by bringing down the prices of daily use items and cutting down the utilities charges. He will also have to ensure accountability for all and focus on genuine electoral reforms so as to get the opinion-makers speak for him. The PM’s second innings starts now.
Published in The Express Tribune, March 7th, 2021.
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