Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government is on the verge of losing a majority in parliament as three of his key allies are about to leave his cabinet, a top leader of the party backing the government said.
Chaudhry Pervez Elahi, whose Pakistan Muslim League-Qaida party is a key government partner with five members in the lower house National Assembly, stepped up support for the opposition group in a no-confidence vote later this month.
“It is now up to Imran Khan to personally approach his allies and convince them to continue in the coalition government,” Elahi said. Otherwise, “he’s in 100% trouble.”
Opposition parties have asked the Speaker of the National Assembly to move a no-confidence motion against Khan, accusing him of mismanagement of the economy and foreign policy. Some government ministers have said that legislators can vote between March 28-30.
Elahi said seven members of his group, the five-seat Balochistan Awami Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, have decided to take a joint decision on whether to support the opposition or remain in the government. The combined strength of the group’s 17 members is enough to end Khan’s 7-seat majority in the National Assembly.