Imran Khan in Deeper Trouble as Another Lawmaker Switches Over to Sharif's PML-N Ahead of Trust Vote

Trouble worsened for Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday when another parliamentarian from his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, switched sides to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz ahead of a trust vote.

National Assembly member Chaudhry Asim Nazir from Faisalabad joined the PML-N and also resigned from the post of parliamentary secretary of the PTI. Nazir was reportedly seen the day before with PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif, brother of deposed leader Nawaz Sharif, at Parliament House. Nazir had joined the PTI in 2018.

According to sources, Members of the National Assembly (MNA) switching sides are first being briefed by the country’s army and the ISI about the possible change in government.

Pakistani opposition legislators had launched the no-confidence motion Imran Khan in parliament on Monday, accusing his government of mismanaging the nation’s economy.

An alliance of opposition lawmakers called the Pakistan Democratic Movement has been trying to woo Khan’s coalition partners away, some of whom seemed ready to desert him. Pakistan’s opposition says it has the required 172 votes in the 342-seat house to oust Khan’s government.

Khan has vowed to defeat the no-confidence motion with the help of lawmakers from his own PTI party and political allies.

Khan came into power in 2018 elections, securing 176 votes. He needs 172 votes to remain in power but about a dozen lawmakers from his ruling party have revolted, accusing Khan of mismanaging the country’s economy.

“We have the support of required lawmakers to oust Imran Khan’s government,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of the key opposition Pakistan People’s Party told reporters.

But Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed vowed the no-confidence motion will be defeated.

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