With experts and political leaders doing the math and looking to predict what the outcome of the imminent no-trust motion will be, both sides are gearing for a showdown that will only heat up in the days to come. The government is yet to announce a date for the resolution to be voted for in parliament, although since submission, the constitutionally mandated period for the speaker to hold a session is until March 22.
However, Senator Faisal Javed has indicated that the vote might take place after March 27, which only adds to the confusion. A call to supporters has been made by both the Prime Minister and other leaders of PTI, to show up outside the parliament as a display of support for the government on the day before. In case of victory, this is expected to turn into a celebration for the ruling party. In a defeat however, all bets are off. While individuals such as Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry have downplayed any chances of violence breaking out as a result of charged supporters outside the parliament on the day of the vote, it is clear that the government will not be backing down, and SAPM Shahbaz Gill’s statements are perhaps more reflective of the overall mood of confrontation emanating from ruling party circles.
What is clear is that this confrontation between opposing sides is heading down a dangerous path. The government has issued threat after threat to its own members as well as opposition parties. Treasury members have been told that they will be disqualified from their seat before the vote if they side against PM Khan, even though the constitution is clear that the party head is only authorised to consider a member to have defected after a vote against the party line and a show cause notice. The fact that this is a punitive step and not one that can come before the count of the vote is in, seems to have been missed or deliberately ignored by the government in its media and public outreach.
It is still unclear if the government’s allies stand with it, although the Prime Minister’s call for his cabinet to solve outstanding grievances and looking to bring any dissident voices back to the fold might lead to better offers made to allies such as the PML-Q, MQM-P and BAP, making sure that their vote lies with the ruling party on the day of the resolution. With the vote now drawing ever closer, parties on the fence—the government’s allies and the forward blocs within the ruling party—know that their support will make or break the government.
With the vote drawing ever closer, the government could make its life easier by wooing allied parties and delivering on promises made to counter any potential surprises on the day of the vote. Both sides know that it will go down to the wire, but the best thing to do would be to hedge all bets and look to keep the political arena from becoming even more confrontational in the days to come.
However, Senator Faisal Javed has indicated that the vote might take place after March 27, which only adds to the confusion. A call to supporters has been made by both the Prime Minister and other leaders of PTI, to show up outside the parliament as a display of support for the government on the day before. In case of victory, this is expected to turn into a celebration for the ruling party. In a defeat however, all bets are off. While individuals such as Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry have downplayed any chances of violence breaking out as a result of charged supporters outside the parliament on the day of the vote, it is clear that the government will not be backing down, and SAPM Shahbaz Gill’s statements are perhaps more reflective of the overall mood of confrontation emanating from ruling party circles.
What is clear is that this confrontation between opposing sides is heading down a dangerous path. The government has issued threat after threat to its own members as well as opposition parties. Treasury members have been told that they will be disqualified from their seat before the vote if they side against PM Khan, even though the constitution is clear that the party head is only authorised to consider a member to have defected after a vote against the party line and a show cause notice. The fact that this is a punitive step and not one that can come before the count of the vote is in, seems to have been missed or deliberately ignored by the government in its media and public outreach.
It is still unclear if the government’s allies stand with it, although the Prime Minister’s call for his cabinet to solve outstanding grievances and looking to bring any dissident voices back to the fold might lead to better offers made to allies such as the PML-Q, MQM-P and BAP, making sure that their vote lies with the ruling party on the day of the resolution. With the vote now drawing ever closer, parties on the fence—the government’s allies and the forward blocs within the ruling party—know that their support will make or break the government.
With the vote drawing ever closer, the government could make its life easier by wooing allied parties and delivering on promises made to counter any potential surprises on the day of the vote. Both sides know that it will go down to the wire, but the best thing to do would be to hedge all bets and look to keep the political arena from becoming even more confrontational in the days to come.
