No-trust motion: MQM-P leadership confirms signing agreements with Opposition
Sources reveal MQM-P and PPP reached an agreement comprising 27 points
March 30, 2022
- Sources reveal MQM-P and PPP reached an agreement comprising 27 points.
- Key leaders of joint Opposition signed agreement as guarantors.
- MQM-P leader Amin ul Haque says Rabta Committee has confirmed development.
ISLAMABAD: Following MQM-P’s decision to support the joint Opposition on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the party leadership confirmed that an agreement has been signed with the PPP, Geo News reported on Wednesday.
Sources privy to the matter revealed that the two sides reached an agreement comprising 27 points, days before voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan.
They further revealed that all key leaders of the joint Opposition signed the agreement as guarantors. PPP’s Saeed Ghani and MQM-P’s Javed Haneef played a major role in helping both sides reach the deal paving the way to oust the premier.
Read more: What does MQM-P have to gain from siding with the opposition?
Speaking to Geo News, MQM-P leader Amin ul Haque said that the Rabta Committee has confirmed the development.
According to the sources, the signed agreement includes the following:
- There will be full implementation of urban and rural quotas for government jobs in Sindh.
- Sindh government will immediately announce the provincial finance commission after the local body elections.
- Local-level police officers and personnel will be deployed.
- MQM-P will be consulted on the appointment of the local body and administrative offices in urban areas.
- PPP will consult MQM-P on major developmental projects in Sindh.
- Both parties will join legislation to empower local bodies and representatives, agreement.
- Domiciles issued illegally in all districts of Sindh will be cancelled.
A joint press conference will be held on this shortly.
MQM-P's federal ministers step down
Meanwhile, both members of MQM-P serving as federal ministers, Farogh Naseem and Aminul Haque, have stepped down from their posts.
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 decides to desert ruling PTI
In another major blow, the MQM-P last night decided to desert the ruling PTI government and join hands with the joint Opposition to support their no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan.
Following the development, the government has 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.
Read more: PM Imran Khan likely to address nation today, reveals Sheikh Rasheed
The MQM-P's decision to side with the Opposition came after both sides signed a draft prepared by Administrator Karachi Murtaza Wahab, sources told Geo News.
Leader of the Opposition in the NA Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, and PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari have also signed the agreement, sources said.
