Pak Opposition confident of ruling coalition collapsing within days

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Amid negotiations with the allies of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Opposition parties in Pakistan have predicted that the ruling coalition will collapse within days, reported local media.

A senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader, who is part of the talks with the allies of PTI, claimed that the ruling coalition partners have decided to part ways with Imran Khan, but “certain modalities” were being worked out, reported the Dawn newspaper.

“Our parleys with government allies, especially the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), have entered the final phase. It is just a matter of days, if not hours, that they quit the coalition and join us,” the media outlet quoted him as saying.

Referring to the Imran Khan government’s bizarre interpretation of the floor-crossing clause, the PML-N leader said that the allies have become more relevant for the Opposition after the government openly declared that the votes of dissident PTI MNAs will not be counted during the no-trust vote.

Notably, all is not well within the coalition government and the cracks of internal tussle were apparent after Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed on Saturday took a veiled dig at the PML-Q, accusing it of “blackmailing” the government in return for support during the Opposition’s no-trust move against the premier.

However, the allies are keen to have some “reliable guarantors” in their dealings with the joint Opposition, the media outlet reported, citing an insider in the Opposition.

The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on Tuesday. However, the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion. (ANI)