Islamabad: The national assembly begins to conduct voting on the no-trust motion submitted against Prime Minister Imran Khan by the joint opposition alliance – Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) – on March 8. In this regard, opposition parties have reached the parliament including opposition leaders Shehbaz Sharif, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari among others.
According to the order of the Supreme Court issued in the Suo-Motu notice of the deputy speaker’s ruling, Speaker of National Assembly Asad Qaiser was bound to conduct voting on the no-trust motion.
Today’s session
The session began with the Opposition Leader in the House Shehbaz Sharif taking the floor and hailing the historic decision of the Supreme Court to revert the deputy speaker’s decision.
Shehbaz Sharif requested Speaker Asad Qaiser to follow the orders of the Supreme Court and complete voting on the no-trust resolution.
“You must cash in on this moment with conviction and with your heart and your mind. Don’t go on the dictation of the selected prime minister,” Shehbaz Sharif urged Qaiser.
Responding to this, Speaker Asad Qaiser said that he would conduct proceedings according to the law and the Constitution.
“Today, parliament is going to defeat a selected prime minister in a constitutional manner,” Shehbaz Sharif declared.
At this, Speaker Asad Qaiser mentioned that the house must also debate the foreign conspiracy being hatched to topple Imran Khan’s government.
Responding to the remarks of Shahbaz Sharif, Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi took the floor on part of the government.
Foreign Minister said that the ruling side accepted the verdict of the honourable supreme court.
“We accept the decision of the Supreme Court,” Shah Mehmood said.
However, referring to the no-trust motion, the foreign minister said that it was the opposition’s constitutional right to table a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, adding that it was his duty to defend the prime minister.
“We intend to defend the no-confidence motion in a constitutional democratic manner,” said Shah Mehmood.
While talking about the foreign conspiracy, the Foreign Minister recalled that the National Security Committee had acknowledged the threat letter as a serious and sensitive matter and termed it interference in the internal matters of Pakistan.
He said demarches were also issued in the light of the statement of the National Security Committee.
Further, the session was delayed till 12:30 pm following the opposition’s protest during Qureshi’s speech.
Order of the day
Following the apex court’s orders, the agenda released by the national assembly shows that voting on the no-trust motion is the only agenda to be taken up today.
Agenda-09-04-2022 (Saturday)As per the agenda, the voting on the no-confidence motion is at the fourth position in the six-point agenda issued for today.
Speaker Asad Qaiser could not take up agenda other than voting on the motion and if he did not do so, he would have to face contempt of court proceedings.
The opposition needs the support of at least 172 lawmakers from a total of 342 to oust the premier through the no-trust move.
