KP CM shaken as MPs stir no-confidence motion

• 48 parliamentarians of QWP, ANP, JUI-F, PML-N and PPP join hands against KP CM with JUI-F trying to get JI, AJI in the loop as well
• If JI parts from PTI’s coalition govt in KP, opposition parties will have 62 seats – one more than govt

PESHAWAR

STAFF REPORT

As many as 48 members of the provincial assembly Tuesday filed a no-confidence motion against the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, maintaining that he had lost confidence of the House and could dissolve it.

Talking to the media, opposition leader Lutfur Rehman said that they had submitted the motion against KP CM as they could not let the assembly to be dissolved.

Qaumi Watan Party (QWP)’s Sardar Hussain Babak and Awami National Party (ANP)’s Sikander Hayat Sherpao submitted the motion, jointly signed by Jamiat-e-Ulema Islam – Fazal (JUI-F), Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), with KP Assembly secretary.

Moreover, according to JUI-F KP chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, JUI-F chief Fazlur Rehman contacted Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq and AJI chief and both the parties have also agreed to support the motion to save provincial assembly from dissolution.

JUI-F KP chief said that constitutional endeavours to block the way of rigging in general elections had been “sabotaged” by the agitation of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) at a “wrong time”. He termed PTI’s move “un-democratic” and said that it would set a new trend of removing the government through a pressure group of a few thousands of people.

At present, in the 124 member KP Assembly, PTI has 56 seats, JI has eight, AJI five, PML-N and JUI-F have 17 seats each, PPP and ANP have five seats each and QWP has 10 seats.

The PTI’s government in KP was formed through a coalition with JI and AJI with a total of 69 seats. If the JI parts from the coalition and joins the opposition, the PTI-led coalition will be left with 61 seats whereas opposition parties would have 62 seats – one more than the government. In this case, 62 votes are required to both save and oust Khattak.

At the same time, at least 15 PTI MPAs allegedly have serious differences with the chief minister. However, Ziaullah Bangash told a private TV channel that rumours about possible desertions from the party were baseless.

“We are with the party leadership and will follow the instructions of the chief minister,” Bangash said.

The move to submit the no-confidence motion comes a day after parliamentarians from the PTI — apart from the ones sitting in the KP assembly — handed in their resignations to their party head. This announcement came just a day after PTI chief stunned the country by announcing that he will storm the Red Zone.