Pakistan: 50 PTI ministers 'go missing' as Imran Khan fights for survival

Islamabad: As the no-confidence motion against Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan comes closer, at least 50 ministers belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf are not being seen in public, Pak media reported. Over 50 of the federal and provincial ministers were not seen in the public space, The Express Tribune reported. Out of those missing ministers, 25 were federal and provincial advisers and special assistants, while four of them are the ministers of the state, four are advisors and 19 are the special assistants, according to The Express Tribune citing sources. However, at the federal level, Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan still enjoys the support of its ministers. Pakistan foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, information minister Fawad Chaudhry, energy minister Hammad Azhar, minister of defence Pervez Khattak and interior minister Sheikh Rasheed are among those ministers who continue to defend the Pakistani prime minister. Meanwhile, after the no-confidence motion against Khan was adjourned to 28 March, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf has intensified its efforts to woo its allies. A delegation of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) is likely to hold a meeting with Pakistani prime minister today, ARY News reported citing sources. The development comes after Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Friday reached out to both the key allies of the ruling PTI– the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). Shah Mahmood Qureshi along with Asad Umar and Pervaiz Khattak met the MQM delegation. Qureshi also had a telephonic conversation with Pakistan Muslim League (Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Earlier, on Thursday, the PTI leaders also met the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to convince them so that the allies would return to the government and support Pakistani prime minister in the National Assembly on the voting day. The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172. The PTI led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members, with Imran Khan’s PTI having 155 members, and four major allies MQM-P, PML-Q, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) having seven, five, five and three members respectively. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.