Opposition in Pakistan plans alternative strategies if no-confidence motion fails

Islamabad, March 21

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the joint opposition alliance campaigning to oust the Imran Khan government through a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, has planned different strategies to continue its political offensive against the Prime Minister in case the motion fails.

Sources say that PDM has chalked out different options - Plans B and C, if their initial Plan A of the no-confidence motion fails.

As per Plan A, opposition parties are pushing towards passage of the no-confidence motion as it get tabled in the National Assembly on March 25. The opposition alliance claim to have gained over 172 votes, after about two dozen members of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) along with other allies of the government, have defected and joined them, vowing to vote against Imran Khan.

However, if plan A fails and the government defeats the no-confidence motion, opposition parties have decided to go immediately for Plan B, demanding Imran Khan get a vote of confidence from Parliament.

The opposition benches would use the time to re-engage with the defected members and others and try to get their support in getting a vote against Imran Khan.

Moreover, if both Plan A and B fail, then Plan C of the opposition's anti-Imran campaign will challenge the proceedings of Plan A and B in the Supreme Court or the Election Commission, challenging the legal standing of the proceedings of Parliament as un-constitutional as the Speaker of the National Assembly failed to table the motion within 14 days of its submission in the first place.

The plan will also be coupled with anti-government rallies, aimed at inserting pressure on the government to call for early elections.

As per details of the upcoming anti-government rally by the PDM, the march will start from Lahore on March 24. It will have its first stop at Gujranwala city from where it will move forward towards Jhelum, crossing central Punjab and increasing the number of its supporters on the way. The PDM march will have its second stopover at Jhelum.

On March 26, the PDM long march will move towards Rawalpindi and will stay there overnight. And on the March 27, the march will move towards Islamabad, where it claims to bring over 2 million people in protest against the Imran Khan government.

On the other hand, Imran Khan has also called for a public gathering on March 27 in Islamabad, where, he claims that over 1 million of his supporters will be present.

The political scenario of Pakistan has been turbulent in the recent past with defections from the ruling party adding to the worries of the Prime Minister. Opposition parties are confident that these will be the final days for Imran Khan as the Prime Minister, while the ruling benches accuse the opposition for using massive bribes and political chicanery to achieve their anti-Imran agenda.