No-confidence motion: NA session resumes today; govt allies still sitting on the fence

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) extraordinary session will resume today at 4:00 pm with the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on the agenda, however, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government allies are still sitting on the fence.

The opposition lawmakers are likely to table the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in the NA session resuming today. The tabling of the no-trust move will require the signatures of at least 152 members of the National Assembly (MNAs).

After the submission of the no-trust move, the NA Speaker Asad Qaiser will be bound to conduct voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Khan within seven days.

Sources told News360 that the government and the opposition are still in the dark over the support of 172 NA lawmakers. The government allies are still facing confusion to take a final decision on taking a side on the no-trust move and waiting for phone calls to get a final direction.

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Yesterday, the opposition parties had managed to give a minor blow to the PTI government by convincing an MNA Shahzain Bugti, who served as the Special Assistant to PM on Reconciliation and Harmoney in Balochistan, to be on their side.

Bugti had announced stepping down as PM’s aide and parting ways with the PTI government besides announcing to support the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) in the no-confidence motion against PM Khan.

However, the major government allies including Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) and Grand Democratic Alliance did not unveil any decision.

Sources privy to the developments said that neither the opposition side is confident of having the support of 172 lawmakers on the no-trust move nor the government was aware of being backed by all of its lawmakers and allies.

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They added that the allies are continuously delaying their final decision despite being inclined towards the joint opposition as they felt a phone call could have changed their political move at any time.

NA session

On March 25, the NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had adjourned the session till March 28 without any proceeding on the no-confidence motion against the premier.

The NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had adjourned the session till March 28 (Monday) after conducting Fateha Khwani of late parliamentarians including a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) Khail Zaman, Senator Rehman Malik, former president Rafiq Tarar and others.

Qaiser had said that it is a tradition to adjourn the NA session after the demise of a parliamentarian. He added that he will continue proceedings on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan in accordance with the regulations.

After the Fateha Khawani for the late parliamentarians, the Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif had sought permission from the speaker for addressing the session but Speaker Qaiser had immediately adjourned the session till Monday, 4:00 pm.