ISLAMABAD - The Thursday's by-polls have further cemented the coalition partners' parliamentary position to impeach the president as now their combined strength stands at 13 more than the two-thirds majority of the joint house of parliament.

The fresh party position in parliament makes it clear that the treasury partners and their supporters have reached the combined figure of 308 against the required 295 from both houses, the National Assembly and the Senate, for packing up the sitting president. The by-polls results have left no excuse for the anti-Musharraf forces, particularly the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), to go ahead with the successful impeachment motion, provided they act in accordance with their public commitments.

Of the total seven seats on which the by-polls were to be held, the PML-N and the PPP shared three and two respectively as one was earlier won by PML-N's Hamza Shahbaz unopposed while one from where Nawaz Sharif had to contest was still vacant.

The PPP leadership, including its Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, has been stating that the government could not take the risk by moving an impeachment motion, taking the plea that some independents may slip right on the voting time.

"After the by-polls, the risk element is almost nil, as the total number of the government and its supporters is 13 more than required and even the slip given by a few independents would not affect it," said a political analyst on the latest situation.

In practical terms, the two major parties added three more seats as four were vacated by Nawaz League's double seat holders, including two by Javed Hashmi, and one each by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and Rana Tanvir.

In physical count, the PPP added two and the PML-N one in their previous headcount in the National Assembly though polls on NA-123 are yet to be held but Nawaz Sharif will no doubt secure it if he is cleared by the Supreme Court.

In the fresh calculations, the PPP's total strength in the National Assembly stands at 125 and the PML-N's 92 whereas the ANP has 13, the JUI-F six, the BNP-A one, the NPP one and 18 are independent members. All these make a total of 256 in the National Assembly.

The anti-Musharraf forces in the Senate make a total of 52, including the Fata members and the Jamaat-e-Islami senators, ready to be an active part of the impeachment motion.

In all, 295 votes from a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate is required for a successful impeachment motion. There are independent members and also many from the incumbent opposition ready to extend support in this connection.

"These 52 senators and 256 MNAs make a total of 308, 13 more than the required 295 and there is hardly a zero per cent risk element," a parliamentary affairs official said.

The other side of the picture provides that the pro-Musharraf forces, the PML-Q, the MQM, the PPP-Sherpao and the PML-F, jointly make a total of 85 in the National Assembly and 48 in the Senate, thus making a grand total of 133 in both the houses.

This 133 grand total ensures that the anti-Musharraf forces enjoy a total strength of 308 in both the houses of parliament wherein 295 is the two-thirds majority.

It is important to note here that elections on one seat, the NA-123, are to be held after the Supreme Court stayed it on an appeal of the federal government.