MQM-P's Farogh Naseem, Aminul Haque step down as federal ministers

• Development comes after MQM-P's decision to side with Opposition in no-trust vote against PM Imran Khan.
• Ministers decide to resign as PM Imran Khan's cabinet members first.
• MQM-P and PPP to address a press conference today at 4pm.

ISLAMABAD: Both members of MQM-P serving as federal ministers, Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque, have stepped down from their posts, hours after the party's announcement to side with the Opposition in the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Naseem, who served as federal minister on law and justice, and Haque, who served as federal minister on information technology and telecommunication, submitted their resignations to the prime minister as soon as they got permission from MQM-P's Rabta Committee.

The ministers believed that making such a decision was not right as long as they are members of PM Imran Khan's cabinet and, therefore, decided to resign from the federal cabinet first.

It was expected that Naseem would side with the prime minister against the party as he valued his advice throughout the three-and-a-half years since the formation of the government, but since he was elected as a Senator from MQM-P’s quota, he went with the party’s decision.

MQM-P's Rabta Committee and PPP CEC will address a press conference today at 4pm and share details of the agreement with the media.

The government has been facing back-to-back blows as the voting day on the Opposition's no-trust motion nears.

MQM-P decides to support Opposition

In another major blow to PTI, the MQM-P decided to desert the ruling party and join hands with the joint Opposition to support their no-confidence motion against the prime minister.

Following the development, the government lost the majority in the Lower House and the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan — on which the National Assembly is expected to vote on April 3 — will likely be successful.

With 177 members, the Opposition now has more numbers in the NA and they do not need the support of the disgruntled PTI MNAs. On the other hand, the government is left with the support of only 164 members of Parliament.

Where did the deadlock occur?

MQM-P had been adamant on the resolution of its three key issues but wasn't receiving a positive development.

These issues include the release of 100 missing persons, fake cases against MQM-P members and closure of the party's offices due to which they are unable to play freely in the political ground, especially in urban Sindh.

MQM-P leader Wasim Akhtar, while speaking on Geo News programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath a day before MQM-P's decision, had said his party's decision depended on the government or Opposition.

He had said that the MQM-P will choose the side which accepts their demands.

Shahzain Bugti parts ways with govt

Earlier, PM Imran Khan's his special assistant (SAPM) on reconciliation and harmony in Balochistan and Jamhoori Watan Party leader Shah­zain Bugti parted ways with the government while announcing his resignation from the federal cabinet.

The development came on Sunday after a meeting of the politician with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and PPP and PML-N lawmakers. Bilawal called on Bugti at his residence to seek his support for the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan.