The second largest coalition partner, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), on Sunday quit the government to join the opposition. The decision to quit the government was taken in a joint meeting of the MQM Rabita Committee London and Pakistan held at the party's headquarters, Azizabad, which was attended by its members in London via telephone. Besides the members of the committee, the meeting was also attended by party MPAs, MNAs and Senators.
The meeting decided that MQM's parliamentarians would sit on opposition benches in both the houses of the Parliament, however, they would support every positive step of the government while remaining in opposition. MQM Chief Altaf Hussain has endorsed the decision of Rabita Committee, a statement issued here said. The meeting condemned the recent hike in petroleum products' prices and demanded of the government to immediately withdraw the decision.
The MQM urged the government to impose agriculture income tax on feudal lords instead of burdening the poor masses and taxpayers by imposing new tax on them.
It said the meeting observed that MQM is a political party and takes decisions as per the wishes of the masses. "The party was under tremendous public pressure due to the high inflation and after the recent hike in petroleum products' prices it was impossible for it to sit in treasury benches any more," it added.
AFP adds: The MQM made the announcement days after its two federal cabinet ministers resigned, abandoning crisis talks with Pakistan People's Party that had scrambled to keep them on board.
An administration that took power less than three years ago following elections has now lost its majority in parliament and faces possible collapse if the opposition unites to pass a vote of no-confidence.
"We have decided to sit on opposition benches because the government has not done anything to address the issues we have been protesting about," MQM stalwart Faisal Sabzwari told AFP. MQM has long been at odds with PPP over political violence in Karachi, tax reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund, corruption and crippling inflation.
Without MQM's 25 seats, the PPP's coalition numbers 160 seats in the 342-member National Assembly, 12 short of the 172 required for a majority.
"The government has not listened to our demands to control inflation and corruption and it is bent upon burdening them with new tax," said Sabzwari.
MQM remains, however, in the coalition in Sindh. MQM's Farooq Sattar, minister for overseas Pakistanis, and ports and shipping minister Babar Ghauri last week submitted their resignations, but the party had stopped short of joining the opposition.
PPP luminaries had appeared publicly confident of stitching up a deal to keep MQM on board, but analysts said late Sunday that the party had decided it no longer wanted to be implicated in an increasingly unpopular government.
All eyes will now turn to Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) led by former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, that would need to support any possible parliamentary vote of no-confidence.
"It is their moral duty now to prove their majority in the national assembly," PML-N spokesman Ahsan Iqbal said of the government. "The prime minister should take fresh vote of confidence from the parliament," he said.
Political analyst Hasan Askari said: "The government runs into serious problems with the exit of MQM. The basic issue for the government now is survival." Yet he doubted any immediate prospect of a vote of no-confidence saying that Nawaz Sharif appeared unwilling to bring down the government immediately and face responsibility for the country's myriad crises.
"That (a vote of no-confidence) is not going to happen for the time being. Nawaz Sharif is not in favour and the opposition is divided," said Askari.
Troubled relations between Nawaz's party and the MQM gives the government breathing space of at least three to four weeks, analysts estimate, to stitch together a new majority.
"The government will try to win over small groups so you'll see lots of politicking," said Askari. One of those parties set to be wooed could be Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUIF), the country's most prominent religious party that took seven lawmakers out of government on December 14 after Gilani sacked one of its ministers.
APP adds: Altaf Hussain had separate telephonic talks with Chief of Pakistan Muslim League (Functional), Pir Pagaro, Chief of Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q), Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-Q leader, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. During telephonic conversation, the MQM Chief discussed the overall political situation of the country with the PML-Q and PML-F leaders. Talking to them Altaf said the countrymen are facing different problems and in such situation it was not possible for his party to remain part of the government. Due to the reasons the MQM Rabita Committee has decided that the party's members in the National Assembly and Senate will sit on the Opposition benches. Ch. Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi lauded the decision of MQM.