Amid the looming no-confidence motion against his government, Imran Khan’s woes multiplied as he faces another rebellion in his party from a former senior minister of Punjab Aleem Khan, a media report said on Tuesday.
Aleem Khan announced joining Jahangir Khan Tareen’s group of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) legislators on Monday, saying he wants to reorganise the former loyalists of Imran Khan and protect the party and its public popularity,
The News International reported. Jahangir Khan Tareen is an estranged leader of PTI. He along with his group of PTI legislators and members may play a crucial role when the no-confidence motion is brought by the Opposition.
The development comes at a time when the Opposition led by Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) have ramped up activity to oust the Imran Khan regime.
In February, Pakistan’s Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif held a secret meeting with Tareen and discussed the ouster of the Imran Khan government as per local media reports.
Earlier today, PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari gave Prime Minister Imran Khan a 24-hour ultimatum to resign and dissolve the assembly or be prepared to be ousted through a no-trust motion while addressing the Awami March participants in Lalamusa, Punjab.
Given the developments, Khan held a series of meetings with his ministers about the fast-changing political situation and also presided over the ruling PTI’s core committee meeting, and made some important decisions, The News International further reported.
Last Saturday, Imran Khan had exuded confidence that his party has sufficient numbers in the National Assembly in case a no-confidence motion is brought.
Talking to party members in the National Assembly on Saturday, Imran Khan reportedly said that the Opposition should go ahead with its plan of the no-confidence motion since all coalition partners are with him. He maintained that the government has done its homework.
While addressing a public gathering in Mailsi on Sunday, Imran Khan used derogatory nicknames for his rivals. He said that a ‘clique of looters’ has now united to protect their vested interests by creating hype about a no-trust motion against the government.