Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders on Friday slammed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ambition to change the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly while challenging them to beat them in numbers.
PPP Punjab leaders including QamarZamanKaira said they’re confident they have numbers to retain Khursheed Shah as the Opposition Leader and challenged PTI to bring the numbers.
The smaller opposition parties are expected to play a decisive role in the upcoming political move to change the opposition leader in NA as the current number game has brought Pakistan PTI and PPP into a neck and neck race.
PTI made contacts with several opposition parties includingMuttahidaQaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) to make an alliance for ousting Shah from the position of the Opposition leader in NA.
PPP is also trying to gain the maximum support of opposition parties for foiling the PTI’s attempt of changing the opposition leader.
PTI has 29 Members of National Assembly (MNAs) as its three MNAs have parted ways from the party.
If MQM-P with its 22 MNAs joins hands with PTI, they would have the support of a total of 51 members for their candidate. Moreover, the support of Sheikh Rashid will push this number to 52.
On the other hand, PPP has 47 seats in NA. With the support of three MNAs from Awami National Party (ANP) and QuamiWatan Party-Sherpao (QWP-S), who have already announced to vote in favor of Khurshid Shah, PPP will be able to manage almost 50 members supporting the current opposition leader.
In this situation, the support of Jamaat-e- Islami (JI) having four MNAs and Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) with its two MNAs along with five independent members becomes very significant.
Both PPP and PTI are trying to seek their support as they will play a key role in settling the issue.
