PESHAWAR: As the political uncertainty looms in the country, the opposition parties have chalked out a strategy to pre-empt the dissolution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly.

Sources said five opposition parties were poised to submit a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak if he moved to dissolve the assembly.

They said the opposition had completed its homework in that regard and would immediately bring a motion against the leader of the house to counter the threat to the assembly.

“We have so far obtained the signatures of 40 MPAs on blank sheets of papers, which will be used for submitting no-confidence motion against the chief minister,” said an opposition lawmaker.

He said the opposition had held a string of meetings on Monday and Sunday in which the signatures from MPAs were obtained.

The lawmaker said the unexpected change in the Balochistan Assembly and Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmad’s advice to PTI’s chairman Imran Khan for mass resignations from the National Assembly prompted the opposition parties to take pre-emptive measures to foil threat to the KP Assembly.

Secures signatures of 40 members for no-trust move against CM

Sheikh Rashid while addressing an opposition rally in Lahore on Jan 16 had announced his resignation from the National Assembly and even asked Imran Khan to follow suit.

Another opposition MPA told Dawn that the lawmakers’ signatures on blank papers would be used for submitting no-confidence motion against the chief minister.

He said Imran Khan was unreliable and he could ask Pervez Khattak to dissolve the assembly anytime.

“The opposition will not give opportunity to Pervez Khattak to send an advice to the governor for the dissolution of the assembly,” said the MPA requesting anonymity.

He said as only four months had been left for the assemblies to complete tenure, the opposition parties weren’t interested in an in-house change.

He said MPAs of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party, Qaumi Watan Party and Awami National Party had signed the papers. “We can’t rule out threat to the assembly until the Senate elections are held in March,” he said.

The lawmaker said constitutionally, if the assembly was in session, the chief minister could not send advice to the governor regarding the dissolution of the assembly. He said the opposition was likely to use its cards if the assembly was prorogued. Speaker Asad Qaisar adjourned the sitting until Feb 12.

Under Article 112 of the Constitution, the chief minister cannot advise the governor for dissolving the assembly after a motion for no-confidence has been submitted. The speaker is to summon a session of the assembly within 14 days after receiving the requisition notice.

One analyst said the PTI could foil the opposition’s move if its lawmakers tendered resignations en bloc and in that case, there was no other MPA, who could command the confidence of the majority of the lawmakers.

He, however, said in that case, the Jamaat, the coalition partner of the ruling PTI, shall also support the latter as without it, the PTI did not enjoy the complete majority in the house.

The opposition parties had submitted a no-confidence motion against the chief minister in August 2014 when Imran Khan during the three months long sit-in in Islamabad had threatened that he would ask Mr Khattak to dissolve the KP Assembly.

As for the party’s position in the assembly, the PTI has 60 members, PML-N 17, JUI-F 16, QWP 10, JI seven, PPP six and ANP five. A seat for minority has been lying vacant since the killing of PTI MPA Sardar Soran Singh in April 2016. Ziaullah Afridi and Amjad Afridi have been expelled from the PTI.

On the other hand, the PTI enjoys the support of one independent lawmaker.

Similarly, the opposition parties also may face revolt from within in case a no-confidence move is tabled against Pervez Khattak.

Two MPAs of the QWP and one of JUI-F have already hinted at joining the PTI.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2018