No-confidence motion against Imran Khan tabled in Pak Assembly
The Pakistan National Assembly has been adjourned till March 31, which means that voting must take after three days but end before the seventh day. After the tabling of no-confidence motion, the constitution of Pakistan does not allow the PM to dissolve the house and call for fresh elections
The no-confidence motion against Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan has been tabled in the Pakistan National Assembly. Leader of Opposition Shehbaz Sharif tabled the no-confidence motion in the presence of deputy speaker Qasim Khan Suri. After tabling, voting was held on the acceptance of the resolution in which 161 lawmakers voted in favour.
The National Assembly has been adjourned till March 31, which means that voting must take after three days but end before the seventh day. After the tabling of no-confidence motion, the constitution of Pakistan does not allow the prime minister to dissolve the house and call for fresh elections.
In a latest development, the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf announced PML-Q leader Chaudhary Pervez Elahi as the candidate for the post of Punjab chief minister. Usman Buzdar, the chief minister of Punjab province who had faced a no-confidence motion, has tendered his resignation.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has 155 members in the National Assembly and needs support of 17 more lawmakers to defeat the no-confidence motion.
It needs to be seen what offers will be made to the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan. This as the BAP has already declared that its five members will vote for the opposition. In the current Pakistan Assembly, the opposition parties have a strength of 168 members, needing just four more votes to defeat Imran Khan. Shehbaz Sharif's PML-N has 84 members while Asif Ali Zardari's Pakistan People's Party has 56 members.
Besides the opposition, a substantial number of PTI lawmakers are believed to be voting against Imran Khan. Two ministers on Sunday tendered their resignation hours before the Pakistan prime minister addressed a rally at Islamabad's Parade Ground.
During his two hour speech, Khan alleged a foreign hand in the conspiracy to topple his three-and-a half year old government. A loss in the trust vote will definitely end the prime ministerial stint for the 69-year-old 'Kaptaan' which Khan is fondly addressed by his supporters.
