In what comes as a big blow to beleaguered Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P), a coalition partner of his government, struck a deal with the opposition party, the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), effectively rendering the ruling coalition in a minority in the National Assembly. 

The united opposition and MQM have reached an agreement, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the chairman of the PPP, tweeted on Wednesday morning, ahead of the crucial vote on the no-confidence motion scheduled for voting this week. 

In the tweet, Bhutto wrote, “Rabta [consultative] committee MQM and PPP CEC will ratify the said agreement. We will then share details with the media in a press conference tomorrow IA. Congratulations Pakistan.” 

Faisal Sabzwari, a senior leader of the MQM-P, also confirmed the development on Twitter. 

With this development, Khan’s government becomes more vulnerable as the ruling party struggles to pacify a number of his sulking allies. His earlier attempts to save his government by making changes in the leadership of the Punjab government now seem fruitless. 

Of the 342 members in the house, the government needs at least 172 on its side to defeat the no-confidence motion moved against Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, that possibility appears bleak, especially when the list of disgruntled allies keeps growing. 

With these developments, the government has now the support of 164 members, way behind the Opposition’s strength which now stands at 177 supporters in the national assembly. Even if the disgruntled lawmakers of the main ruling party, the PTI, don’t vote against Khan, the government would not be able to survive the trust vote.

Earlier during a rally, Khan blamed foreign powers behind the opposition’s attempt to unseat him, citing a letter whose details he hadn't disclosed. 

“Attempts are being made through foreign money to change the government in Pakistan. Our people are being used. Mostly inadvertently, but some people are using money against us,” Khan said in the rally last week. 

The letter Khan had cited for his claim of the alleged foreign conspiracy is reportedly a diplomatic cable sent by Pakistan Ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed Khan, earlier this month, according to a report in The News International, which cited unnamed senior officials. 

The report didn’t disclose the exact content, it said the letter was written in the context of the US-Pakistan ties under the present government of Pakistan. The relations with Washington, the envoy assessed based on his interactions with senior US officials, are unlikely to improve. 

(SAM)