Pakistan opposition says in excess of votes as PM’s coalition partner jumps ship

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s opposition alliance said it was in excess of votes to overthrow Prime Minister Imran Khan as a key coalition partner of the government jumped ship on Monday, ahead of a no-confidence vote in parliament. 
The development came hours after the opposition tabled the no-confidence motion against PM Khan in the National Assembly of Pakistan. Voting on the motion is expected by April 4. 
Opposition parties require at least 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly to oust PM Khan from the office. The opposition collectively has 162 members, while the government enjoys the support of 179 lawmakers, including its coalition partners. 
But now a key coalition partner, the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) with five members in the National Assembly, has lent its support to the opposition. 
“Our numbers are complete and now we are going in plus. And our numbers will keep increasing,” Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said at a joint press conference in Islamabad. 
Bilawal was flanked by opposition leaders, including Shehbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Asif Ali Zardari as well as BAP leader Khalid Magsi. 
Magsi said the decision to join the opposition was made through “mutual consultation,” while Mengal criticized the government for mocking them, instead of focusing on Balochistan. 
“We salute Magsi sahib, his party and MNAs,” Bilawal said, promising, “Together we will face the issues you mentioned and the rest facing Pakistan.” 
Former Pakistan president Zardari thanked BAP members for honoring him through their support. “We will make Shehbaz Sharif sahib the prime minister at the earliest,” he announced. 
Meanwhile, PM Khan, who has been facing over a dozen defections by party lawmakers, reportedly succeeded in wooing another coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). 
PM Khan nominated PML-Q’s Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the chief minister of Punjab, State information Minister Farrukh Habib said on Monday. 
Habib said Usman Buzdar, the chief minister of Punjab, had resigned from office and the PML-Q would side with Khan in the no-trust vote. 
The PML-Q has not yet confirmed the government’s statement, but Pakistan’s Geo News channel quoted Elahi’s son, Moonis Elahi, as saying his father had accepted the PM’s offer. 
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has 155 seats in the lower house of parliament. 
PM Khan’s four coalition partners have a total of 20 seats. Without them, the PTI would fall short of the 172 needed to retain power.