It is for the third time in a row that the opposition has lost a vote in the Senate where it enjoys a comfortable majority. This clearly indicates that instead of claims of winning over some of the treasury members, a number of opposition’s own legislators dodged it, providing an opportunity to the government to get three of its bills passed despite stiff resistance from the Senators of the combined opposition present in the meeting. This becomes all the more significant at a time when the opposition has decided to present a motion of no-confidence against the PM.
The no-confidence motion is to be tabled in the National Assembly where unlike the Senate the opposition is in minority. Unless the PML(Q) and MQM, who are major government allies, decide to part company with it, or a major chunk of PTI dissidents agrees to go along with the opposition, there is little chance of the opposition turning tables on the govt. The opposition’s talks with the PTI’s coalition partners have so far yielded no result. The PTI dissidents led by Jahangir Tareen too have kept their cards close to their chest. Neither the PML(Q) nor MQM are likely to break up ties with the PTI till they receive a signal from the establishment and an assurance of a favourable place in a future set up. Is the opposition now willing to seek the support of the establishment in return for agreeing to a new version of the current hybrid system?
One wonders what PML(N) Vice-President Maryam Nawaz meant when she said that a no-trust move against the government was a risk that should be taken. The idea of a no-confidence move was initially mooted by the PPP leadership. Mian Nawaz Sharif had however opposed it, putting his weight instead behind public contact campaigns including the PDM’s march on Islamabad with an aim to expose the government and put up a show of strength forcing double-minded PTI legislators to change loyalties. PML(N) SVP Khaqan Abbasi too had ruled out a no-confidence move which he maintained was not practicable in a hybrid system. Is the party willing to abandon its slogan of “vote ko izzat do” in its zeal to get rid of the PTI administration?
