Imran Khan challenged the PM to answer three questions, all related to his wealth outside the country or be ready to face a march on Raiwind. Nawaz Sharif has refused to oblige, putting Imran Khan and some of the PPP hotspurs in a precarious position. The rest of the opposition maintains that the decision to march on Raiwind was taken by the PTI without consulting them. Imran Khan’s brash style gave further umbrage to the opposition when he announced a walkout from the National Assembly and without waiting for Khurshid Shah to deliver his speech stormed out of the House. Imran then proceeded to address the media ignoring the rest of the opposition.
The PPP and other opposition parties will continue to expose PMLN government inside Parliament and on forums like the ECP and media. It suits the PPP and PMLQ to unmask the PMLN to encroach upon its constituency in Punjab. But they are opposed to taking recourse to no-holds-barred confrontation for any disruption of law and order could provide an opportunity to offstage players to step in. The ANP and QWP have neither the capacity nor an interest in capturing the PMLN turf in Punjab. While supporting the rest of the opposition on Panama issue, the two are focused on the next elections in KP where they are likely to join hands against the PTI. MQM is fully absorbed in efforts aimed at bringing it out of the doldrums in Karachi and has therefore little appetite for joining a movement against the PMLN in Punjab.
Tahirul Qadri has suddenly left for London giving birth to questions about the motives behind the move. In case he has decided to take up the Model Town killings at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) as he claims this would indicate that Qadri has finally lost hope in the army. There is therefore little chance of his return in near future. Imran Khan is now completely on his own, pondering over whether to rally or not to rally.