JI vows to save KP govt, opposition mulls no-confidence motion
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PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), which is the main coalition party of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) government, on Monday vowed to foil any move to dissolve the provincial government, while the opposition parties are mulling a strategy to move a no-confidence move in the assembly to counter the move in case Imran Khan goes ahead with a dissolution.
Sources told Dawn.com that some PTI legislators from KP have also opposed the idea of quitting the government, however the PTI leadership says the decision regarding KP would be taken in consultation with coalition partners.
The JI Chief Sirajul Haq has reiterated to save the KP government even if the PTI goes ahead with the resignations.
The JI, despite being in coalition with the PTI in KP, has dissociated itself from the 'Azadi March' and has vowed to save democracy at all costs.
The JI senior minister Inayatullah earlier speaking to Dawn.com said that they are opposed to the PTI's civil disobedience call and would not support any unconstitutional means on dissolution of assemblies.
On the other hand, opposition parties sources say are planning to move a no-confidence move in the assembly against the Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak as a legal move to stop the dissolution of the KP assembly by the chief executive if the crisis worsens.
In the 124 member KP Assembly, PTI has 56 seats, the JI has 8, Awami Jamhori Ittehad 5 seats, Muslim League Nawaz 17, JUI-F 17, Pakistan Peoples Party 5, Awami National Party 5, Qaumi Wattan Party 10, while elections are still to be held in PK 68-5 Dera Ismail Khan.
The PTI-led coalition currently have 69 seats. If JI quit and join the opposition it will have 61 while opposition parties would have 62, one more than the govt. At the same time at least 15 MPs have a serious rift with the chief minister and can play a major role in the new set up.
Some PTI insiders are of the view that KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is also not in favour of dissolving the assembly.
The count would drift away from the PTI in case the JI joins the opposition camp to save the assembly, which would mean the PTI coalition would be in serious trouble.
