ISLAMABAD: A key coalition partner of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party clarified on Wednesday it had not joined the opposition ahead of the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, though one of its top leaders had bitterly criticized the federal government a day before and said it was in “trouble.”
Pervaiz Elahi, a senior leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), made headlines on Tuesday by openly speaking up against the government, raising widespread suspicion that his party was in the processing of abandoning the prime minister at a crucial political juncture.
In the brief statement on Wednesday, Elahi called the prime minister an “honest” man, pointing out the PML-Q was a government ally but a separate political party.
“We have neither left the government nor joined the opposition,” he clarified. “We are part of the government and have supported it in every difficult time.”
He added: “There are different opinions within political parties but decisions are made with mutual consultation. Prime Minister Imran Khan is honest and his intentions are good.”
Following the submission of the no-trust motion against the prime minister by the opposition last week, Khan has scrambled to meet senior leaders of his party as well as disgruntled figures within and reached out to leaders of allied parties to ensure they vote in his favor.
The opposition requires at least 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly to topple Khan’s government. The current party position in the lower house of parliament shows the opposition collectively has 162 members while the government enjoys the support of 179 lawmakers, including its coalition partners.
Opposition parties, however, say they have the required numbers to win the no trust vote as they struggle to convince the government’s allied parties to leave the coalition.
“This running around, going from room to room, this is proof that he [Khan] is in trouble,” Elahi had said in an interview to local Hum News on Tuesday. “[He is] 100 percent in trouble.”
“This government has spoiled its contacts with everyone, even its own people,” the PML-Q leader said. “They are panicking because of their own people now, aren’t they? The tongue is something that can either mend ties or break them.”
Khan, who rose to power in a 2018 general election that critics say was rigged in his favor by the military, has always been known for his brash style of politics. The military denies it interferes in politics.
As pressure around the no-confidence motion gathered in the last two months, with widespread accusations against the PTI of bad governance and mismanagement of the economy, Khan reportedly did not follow the advice of senior leaders to make amends with estranged figures like Jahangir Khan Tareen, once his closest ally, and give assurances to coalition partners like the PML-Q.
Khan has also reportedly refused to remove Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, a longtime demand of both the opposition and allied parties.
Government’s key allied party denies it has joined opposition after criticizing PM Khan
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Government’s key allied party denies it has joined opposition after criticizing PM Khan
- Pervaiz Elahi, a top PML-Q leader, describes Prime Minister Imran Khan as an ‘honest’ man who has good intentions
- Earlier, the PML-Q leader had said Khan was ‘panicking’ ahead of the no-trust vote since he had lost contact with everyone
Pakistan backs peace efforts in Yemen, warns factions on ground against unilateral actions
- Foreign office reaffirms Pakistan’s firm commitment to Yemen’s unity and territorial integrity
- Pakistani administration also expresses solidarity with Saudi Arabia amid regional tensions
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Thursday said it welcomed regional efforts to ease tensions in Yemen and strongly opposed unilateral actions by any faction on the ground that could undermine peace or regional stability.
The development takes place after the Saudi-led Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen said it carried out a “limited” airstrike on Dec. 30, targeting two shipments of smuggled weapons and military equipment sent from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) port of Fujairah to Mukalla in southern Yemen.
Addressing a weekly news briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi reiterated support and firm commitment to the unity and territorial integrity of Yemen.
“In this regard, Pakistan strongly opposes unilateral steps by any Yemeni party that may further escalate the situation, undermine peace efforts and threaten peace and stability of Yemen, as well as that of the region,” he said.
“Pakistan welcome regional efforts for de-escalation of the situation in maintaining peace and stability in Yemen.”
Andrabi highlighted that Pakistan supported a peaceful resolution in Yemen through dialogue and diplomacy, hoping that Yemenis and regional powers work together toward an “inclusive and lasting settlement.”
On Wednesday, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif reaffirmed “complete solidarity” with Saudi Arabia during a phone call with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman following Riyadh’s weapon shipment bombing in Yemen.
The Saudi airstrike on a UAE shipment in Yemen’s southern port city of Mukalla followed rising tensions linked to advances by the Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council in the war-torn country.
Saudi Arabia, a major oil supplier to Pakistan, has provided billions in loans to help manage its economic crisis. The two countries have also signed a mutual defense pact last September, treating an attack on one as an attack on both.
