Potential defections: PTI to hold urgent moot of parliamentary party today

ISLAMABAD: The embattled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday called an urgent meeting of its parliamentary party on Wednesday (today), as concerns mount over potential defections following a Supreme Court verdict that stripped the party of nearly 80 reserved seats in the national and provincial assemblies.

Sources within the party told Business Recorder that PTI plans to re-administer loyalty oaths on the holy Quran to its lawmakers, particularly PTI-backed independents, amid mounting concerns over shifting allegiances in a rapidly changing political landscape.

The move comes in response to the top court ruling last week that overturned a previous judgment granting PTI access to reserved seats, a decision that has significantly reshaped parliamentary power dynamics in favour of the ruling coalition.

Party officials confirmed that all PTI-affiliated members of the National Assembly and provincial legislatures have been directed to attend the meeting in capital, which is expected to focus on the political fallout of the apex court’s verdict and assess the shifting alliances in key provinces, notably Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In KP, where PTI-backed independents hold substantial influence, the leadership remains on high alert over possible overtures by rival parties.

Thirty-five such independents are expected to reaffirm their allegiance through renewed oath-taking ceremonies. A similar exercise was conducted after the February 8, 2024 general elections, but new concerns over defections have prompted the party to revisit the measure.

The Supreme Court ruling, issued last week, reversed a July 2024 decision that had reinstated PTI’s parliamentary party status and its claim to reserved seats.

The recent judgment bolsters the ruling coalition, led by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), bringing it closer to a two-thirds majority in the National Assembly – a development with significant implications for constitutional amendments and legislative control.

The urgency of PTI’s decision to seek fresh oaths on the holy Quran from its lawmakers was underscored by a high-profile defection on Monday, when Chaudhry Usman Ali, a PTI-backed independent from NA-142 (Sahiwal-II), announced his decision to join the PML-N following a meeting with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Ali, who won the February elections with 107,494 votes against PML-N veteran Chaudhry Muhammad Ashraf’s 96,174, had campaigned openly as a PTI loyalist after the party was barred from contesting under its official symbol. He had repeatedly pledged loyalty to jailed ex-prime minister Imran Khan and vocally opposed the ruling coalition.

His defection, which includes support for the controversial 26th Constitutional Amendment – a measure staunchly opposed by PTI – has drawn widespread condemnation and accusations of opportunism. Ali had previously sworn on the holy Quran not to abandon Khan or his cause, making his departure especially stinging for supporters.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2025