Pakistani Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan’s parliamentary majority is at risk following Jahangir Tareen’s decision to form a breakaway group with 40 other members from the country’s Parliament and the Punjab province’s assembly. Currently, Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) party has a narrow majority, with 156 out of 342 seats in the federal assembly and 181 out of 369 seats in the Punjab provisional assembly. However, if Tareen decides to split over his differences with the PM, it could prospectively endanger the majority that the PTI currently enjoys.
Several reports about a split emerged after a dinner hosted at Tareen’s residence on Tuesday, following which he announced the formation of “his like-minded group”. During the meeting, he declared Pakistani National Assembly member Raja Riaz as the group’s leader in the National Assembly and Sardar Saeed Akbar Khan Niwani as the leader in the Punjab Assembly.
Tareen is a businessman who played a crucial role in Khan’s victory in 2018. However, he recently had a falling out with Khan and is being investigated on money laundering and fraud charges. Consequently, 40 leaders have come out opposing the charges against Tareen. Following the meet, Noman Langarial, a member of Tareen’s breakaway group, said, “Jahangir Tareen is scheduled to appear in court on Wednesday (today). What happened to Tareen is wrong … That’s why we are supporting him … We have confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan but we agree on our agenda.”
Nevertheless, Tareen clarified that the formation of the group does not necessarily mean that it will split. He said, “I am openly telling you that … we all are part of the PTI and will remain so.” However, he said that his group would be “raising their voices” in the Punjab Assembly against the “acts of revenge” by the government of the province. He added, “The Punjab government also needs to stop [unjustified] action against our group and address our concerns.”
According to the Chief Executive Officer at Topline Securities Pakistan Ltd., this political instability will result in the stock market becoming increasingly volatile. This is particularly concerning as Pakistan works towards its post-pandemic economic recovery and re-negotiates with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) about the terms of its $6 billion loan.
This is the latest threat of political turmoil in Pakistan. In March, Khan emerged victorious in a vote of confidence in the lower house of the country’s Parliament or the National Assembly. The decision to call for a vote was made following the PTI’s defeat in the country’s Senate, the upper house of the Parliament. Following the poll, the opposition coalition retained control over the Senate, with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PLM-N) securing 20 and 18 seats each. This, combined with the seats secured by their allies, brought the opposition up to 53 seats in the 96-member upper house.
Moreover, last year, the All Parties Conference (APC), Pakistan’s major opposition parties launched an alliance called the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) to oust the Imran Khan-led government in Islamabad. The primary concern of the alliance was the increasing influence of the Pakistani military on the internal affairs of the country. Hence, with the opposition already looking for ways to take down the Khan-led government, this intra-party rift could perhaps help leaders further that goal.
Pakistani PM Imran Khan’s Majority at Risk as Party Leader Forms Breakaway Group
Jahangir Tareen, along with 40 other lawmakers, from Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan’s Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf Party, announced a breakaway group, endangering his majority in the Parliament.
May 20, 2021
SOURCE: FINANCIAL EXPRESS