No-trust move and economy

The grand opposition alliance has once again staked its claim. Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to move a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and would contact the PTI government’s allies in the centre for this purpose.

In the current situation, the country cannot afford to send an elected government home through a no-confidence motion. The current government has so far completed its three and a half years. Now that some good news is coming out regarding the economy, in such a situation if the no-confidence motion is presented and it succeeds, it will have a direct impact on the country’s economy.

In the last two years, due to the coronavirus break, the economy has deteriorated and inflation has reached its peak. The elected government has one and a half years left. Toppling the elected government now would be tantamount to making Imran Khan a political martyr.

Once tabled, the bill has to be debated within seven days. If the motion is to succeed then it must secure a simple majority to pass. The opposition parties will need a total of 172 votes to get the motion approved. It currently has 156 seats. Opposition parties have to seek the support of political parties in alliance with the ruling PTI, which have a total representation of 20.

On the other hand, PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has been in Lahore for the past one week, where he first had met PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and then he met PML-Q leadership at the residence of Chaudhry brothers. Similarly, the MQM leadership, the largest party in the ruling coalition, also met the PML-Q leadership and Shehbaz Sharif at his residence. Meetings between the four parties have strengthened the impression of a change in the House.

The government’s relations with the establishment have been strained over the past few months, giving the opposition hope of winning their support. Additionally, the opposition feels that popular support for the PTI has been drastically eroded over the past year because of rising inflation.

The government seems unconcerned over the decision. The opposition has failed in providing a concrete course of action. It has faced an embarrassment in parliament as bills were passed despite having a majority. The failure to oust the prime minister last year and resign from assemblies last year dealt a blow.

The political climate in the country has become extremely hot, with opposition and government members hurling criticism at each other. But have these politicians even thought of anything in the interest of the people of the country? All political leaders need to show wisdom, so that the country’s dignity can rise and progress can be achieved.