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Ahead of no-trust vote, Imran Khan's warning for PTI lawmakers: ‘Abstain or…’
Interior minister Sheikh Rashid said the voting on the no-confidence motion will be held on April 3.
As the threat of a no-confidence vote continues to loom on the Pakistan prime minister, Imran Khan on Tuesday asked Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) members of the National Assembly (MNAs) to either abstain from voting or not attend the session.
After the no-confidence motion against Khan was tabled in the National Assembly on Monday with a total of 161 votes in favour, the proceedings were adjourned till March 31. Interior minister Sheikh Rashid said the voting on the no-confidence motion will be held on April 3.
In a letter to the PTI MNAs, Khan wrote: "All the members of the [PTI] in the National Assembly shall abstain from voting/not attend the meeting of the National Assembly on the date when the said resolution is set out on the agenda."
Warning his party lawmakers that "every or any" violation of the directions would be treated as an "express defection" in terms of Article 63(A), the letter also mentioned that only designated PTI members would speak during the debate on the no-confidence motion, according to <i>Geo News</i>.
All members are "required to adhere to his directions in true letter and spirit" and should keep in mind the "intention behind the provision of Article 63(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan", Khan directed.
The 69-year-old Pakistan prime minister is heading a coalition government and can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides. The PTI has 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly and needs at least 172 lawmakers to retain power.
On Tuesday, twin setbacks for Khan as two more lawmakers quit the ruling alliance to join the Opposition. PTI parliamentary secretary Asim Nazir from Faisalabad has tendered his resignation and joined the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz). In another development, Independent member from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani too quit the ruling coalition and has now decided to vote for the opposition, Geo News reported. The decision comes after he met Pakistan People's Party co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari. On Monday, federal minister Tariq Bashir Cheema had also quit the government and joined the opposition. Key PTI ally Balochistan Awami Party having five members also declared to join the Opposition.
With the twin resignations, the strength of opposition has now gone up to 170 and just needs two votes to defeat the Imran Khan government.
Rashid predicted that all estranged allies would come back to support the government headed by Khan as already done by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
He also said all roads have been cleared and there was no blockade in part of the city after the ruling PTI and the Opposition parties held separate political rallies on Sunday and Monday.
Rashid also said at least four terrorists were arrested by the security agencies, saving the capital from a huge disaster.
Khan came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’ but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government.
