Pakistan PM Imran Khan Could Be On His Way Out Within A Week; Shahbaz Sharif To Lead

An ally of the Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the Pakis­tan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) finalised a deal on Monday with the opposition party Pakis­tan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) which could see Imran Khan step down in less than a week, CNN-News18 has learned.

People familiar with the developments told CNN-News18 that PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif could be next prime minister of Pakistan replacing Khan. The people mentioned above also suggested that cleric and current president of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman could replace Arif Alvi to take over the role of president of Pakistan. The chairman’s position could go to former prime minister and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Yusuf Raza Gillani.

Earlier in the day CNN-News18 reported that a no-confidence motion was filed against Punjab province chief minister Usman Buzdar. People mentioned above told CNN-News18 that current speaker of the Punjab province assembly Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi could replace him and take over the role of chief minister.

CNN-News18 earlier this month reported that a power-sharing formula is being discussed for both Punjab and at the federal level. The Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), an ally of PTI, earlier demanded that Chaudhary Pervaiz Elahi be appointed to the role.

More than 126 lawmakers in the Lahore assembly have filed for a no-trust motion against current chief minister Usman Buzdar. The lawmakers cited frustration due to his non-performance. The opposition needs 186 votes to remove Buzdar from his post.

The Punjab province assembly has 371 seats with Imran Khan’s PTI incumbent on 183 seats, three short of majority. The PML-Q, PML-N and the PPP are incumbents on 165, 10 and 7 seats. The Pakistan Rah-e-Haq Party has 1 lawmaker and there are five other independent lawmakers.

Buzdar, considered a close ally of Imran Khan, could be ousted soon and there are fears within the Imran Khan government that the prime minister could face a similar fate.

The opposition will table the no-trust motion against Imran Khan in the assembly later on Monday afternoon and the speaker Asad Qaiser will have to take it up within three days of its tabling. Imran Khan, in a bid to cling on to power, earlier released several statements saying that he along with Pakistan will not bow down to ‘foreign powers’ trying to derail his government.

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