Imran Khan will not resign, says Pakistan minister ahead of no-confidence vote

New Delhi:  Even as Imran Khan faces mounting pressure with some allies leaving the ruling coalition ahead of the no-confidence vote, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Wednesday said the Pakistan Prime Minister will not resign.

“Prime Minister Imran Khan is a player who fights till the last ball. He will not get resignation,” Fawad Chaudhry said in a tweet in Urdu. Imran Khan is in a precarious position, with the voting on the no-confidence motion expected on April 3.

The ruling PTI got another major shock when one of its key allies Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) has quit the ruling coalition and joined ranks with the Opposition.
In a ‘power show’ rally in Islamabad on Sunday, Imran Khan brandished a letter, saying that the letter contained the ‘proof’ that he was being threatened by ‘foreign elements’ who seek to topple his government.

Khan today had announced that he would share the letter with ‘senior journalists’ and ‘key allies’ later today.

The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172.

The PTI led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members – Imran Khan’s PTI having 155 members and other major allies including Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) have some 20 seats.

Imran Khan’s situation is precarious given that three of the four allies – MQM-P, PML-Q, and BAP have stated their support for the opposition’s no-confidence motion and said that they will vote accordingly.

The opposition parties in Pakistan are seen to have the support of 162 members of the house and are expected to be joined by the three ruling coalition parties during the vote, helping them cross the majority mark.

The no-confidence motion was tabled in the house on March 28 with the support of 161 members of the house.