Pakistan: Disgruntled lawmakers leave ruling Imran-Khan party as no-confidence motion against PM draws closer

Mar 18, 2022

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 18 : As the date of the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan inches closer, several disgruntled MNAs of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party said that they have parted ways with the ruling party and would not contest the next elections on a PTI ticket.
Not only this, one of them has claimed that three federal ministers have already quit the PTI. 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 March 8. While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan.
Amid Pakistan's political turmoil, Pakistan PTI lawmakers staying at the Sindh House, have been shifted to unknown locations, reported The News International.
Earlier, PTI's estranged member Raja Riaz disclosed that around 24 disgruntled MNAs of the ruling party were staying at the Sindh House, fearing government action against them like the one they witnessed when the Islamabad police had raided the Parliament Lodges a week ago, reported The Express Tribune.
Riaz further said the lawmakers were not missing as they were in Islamabad, saying they had differences with PM Imran and his government's policies. "The PTI's troubles stem from its incompetent advisers and assistants," he added.
In a startling revelation, PTI's Ramesh Kumar claimed that 33 members of the assembly, including three federal ministers, had left the ruling party and the prime minister should immediately resign now.
Another PTI MNA Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon said the "government has lost its opportunity" to restore normalcy to the political situation. "Governments do not stage rallies... they hold negotiations. They [government] should have resolved the matter through political talks... this is not a Hitler regime," he added while speaking to a local broadcaster, reported The Express Tribune.