Zardari warns PPP MNAs of ‘Article 63-A’ over no-confidence motion

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPPP) President Asif Ali Zardari has warned the party’s Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of Article 63-A notice if they were found absent from the voting on the no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Asif Ali Zardari ordered PPP MNAs to ensure their presence in the upcoming session of voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Khan.

The warning was issued in a letter sent to all PPP MNAs by Zardari.

It read, “It is brought to notice that, Article 63-A, Constitution, 1973, will come into play if a Member votes against or abstains from voting in accordance with the Parliamentary Party decision.”

Commenting over the letter to PPP MNAs, Federal Minister for Science and Technology Senator Shibli Faraz said in a statement that it expressed the fear of Asif Ali Zardari, adding that even PPP lawmakers are not supporting their own party decisions.

No-confidence motion

The lawmakers of the opposition parties had submitted a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan to the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat on March 8 which needs the support of a minimum of 172 legislators for its success.

The no-confidence motion against the prime minister had been submitted after being signed by 86 lawmakers from the opposition parties, whereas, the opposition benches also submitted a requisition for summoning a session of the National Assembly (NA).

Journalists critic of PTI govt speak up against opposition’s moves

The no-confidence motion and requisition for the NA session had been received by the additional secretary Muhammad Mushtaq at the NA Secretariat. Those who had submitted the no-confidence motion yesterday included Khawaja Saad Rafique, Ayaz Sadiq, Shazia Marri, Naveed Qamar, Rana Sanaullah, Aliya Kamran and Shahida Akhtar Ali.

D-Chowk, political battleground

The no-confidence motion is slowly heading towards violence as Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head Maulana Fazlur Rehman issued directives to the activists to reach Islamabad on March 24, whereas, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) called a political rally at D-Chowk on March 27 in response to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) public meeting on the same day.

PDM head and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman had announced in a presser to hold a protest demonstration at the Constitutional Avenue (Shahrah-e-Dastoor) of PDM parties on March 24. He made the announcement after attending the dinner hosted by PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in the federal capital to the opposition parties.

According to Fazlur Rehman, the opposition workers will depart for Islamabad on March 23 and reach Shahrah-e-Dastoor on March 24. However, he had changed the plan in view of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers (CFMs) meeting on March 23-24 and announced to enter Islamabad on March 25.

No-confidence motion: Govt allies in disarray for not getting ‘phone call’

It is pertinent to mention here that PTI’s federal minister Asad Umar had announced via a Twitter message that Prime Minister Imran Khan decided to hold a historic public gathering in Islamabad on March 27.

On the other hand, PML-N senior leader Rana Sanaullah told a private news channel that the PTI-led government chose violence. He then announced that PML-N will also organise a public meeting at D-Chowk in response to PTI’s Islamabad power show.

Analysts said that the political temperature is consistently rising as the time of voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan is reaching and a little mistake in statements will add fuel to the fire. They expressed fear that the workers of PTI and PML-N could come face-to-face on March 27 as they both chose the same venue for holding power shows.