ISLAMABAD - The senior members of the ruling party [PTI] will contact heads of its coalition partners to seek their support in and outside parliament against ongoing anti-government campaign by the joint opposition.
The joint opposition have twice refused dialogue offers from the government side, and threatened an anti-government long march. The government side, in reaction to the opposition’s expected plans, will take its coalition partners into confidence about its planning to counter opposition’s move.
Background discussions with lawmakers from treasury benches revealed that government members will contact the allied partners including Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) to chalk out joint strategy against the anti-government intentions of the joint opposition.
Sources said that the government members will ask its coalition partners to appear in media to express solidarity with the ruling party (PTI) in press conferences. The government side will contact its allies before the upcoming session of the National Assembly.
They said that Prime Minister Imran Khan will also hold a meeting with the parliamentary leaders of its allied forces. The prime minister will hold discussion with its coalition partners about the long march threat of opposition parties.
Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the 11-party opposition alliance, the other day had announced that it will hold a long march to Islamabad by late January or early February to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan-led Pakistan-Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government.
Political and constitutional experts viewed that the ruling party should have contacted its coalition partners with the start of the anti-government campaign by the opposition.
They should have jointly appeared in media against the opposition move to show solidarity to express unity, as already the dissociation of erstwhile allied partner BNP-Mengal have created a bad impact.
They further commented that the ruling party should be in close contact with opposition before the session of the National Assembly session to counter any move by the opposition.
The opposition has hinted at tabling no-confidence move at any moment after deciding its proper time from the platform of Pakistan Democratic Movement(PDM). PML-N’s parliamentary leader Khwaja Muhammad Asif, talking to this newspaper, had commented that all the decisions related to no-confidence motion will be taken jointly in Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).
On the other hand, the government side has challenged the opposition to go for a no-confidence motion as they would defeat them with its numerical strength in the house. A senior member from treasury benches commented that the opposition parties have idea about their numerical strength but they just want to face embarrassment.