The agenda of the Pakistan National Assembly states that a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan government will be tabled at 4 pm today. The long march led by the Sharif scions and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) President Fazal-ur-Rehman are slated to reach Islamabad today to raise voice against the rising inflation under the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) regime. In short, Islamabad will be the hub of frenetic political activity this afternoon with Prime Minister Imran Khan caught in a pincer move by the Opposition parties.

According to Pakistan newspapers report, with Shahzain Bugti of Jamhoori Watan Party deciding to quit the ruling coalition, the number of treasury benches stands at 178 in a 342 member house. The opposition has the support of 163 members with PML-Q, the Balochistan Awami Party and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, three major government allies with 17 members, are still undecided and negotiating with both the sides.

However, PM Imran Khan is caught between the devil and deep sea as more than dozen of PTI dissidents are going to exercise a conscience vote in case the Speaker first allows the motion to be tabled and then put to vote after three days and less than seven days. The matter gets complicated as Pakistan Constitution does not allow the Prime Minister to recommend the dissolution of the House and fresh elections once the motion is tabled. To add to the problem, if PM Khan loses the trust vote, then the next largest party, PML-N in this case, forms the government under Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif. But if PM Khan recommends dissolution of House and fresh elections before the motion is tabled, then neither can head the government and will be headed by a third person through a tedious process.

While PM Khan has accused the Opposition of moving the tryst vote as part of a foreign-funded conspiracy to put him down due to independent foreign policy, the no-confidence motion is decided purely on numbers and not on nationalistic emotions which the PTI leader tried desperately to conjure up on Sunday.

Although political machinations presently on in Islamabad can lead to unexpected results, it appears that the Speaker of the House can only delay the inevitable and Imran Khan can avoid the humiliation in the House by resigning and calling for fresh elections before the no-confidence motion is tabled. The one-day match between Imran Khan and the Opposition is in the final over.