ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has said that the Democratic Movement (PDM) will boycott the National Assembly session to be held (tomorrow) on Saturday during which Prime Minister Imran Khan would take a vote of confidence from the Parliament.
Speaking to the media in Islamabad on Friday, the PDM chief said, that no member of PDM would attend the National Assembly session tomorrow.
Fazlur Rehman said that the lawmakers from the opposition alliance would not participate in the National Assembly session. “The session will lose its importance in the absence of the opposition,” he said.
“Continue your government and hold assembly sessions with the fake mandate,” he added. Rehman said that Yousuf Raza Gilani’s triumph was itself a no-confidence motion against PM Imran.
President Alvi in his summary to summon Saturday’s session had fundamentally stated that Prime Minister Imran had lost the trust of the majority and he, therefore, needed to seek a vote of confidence, he claimed.
“So when the country’s president talks about losing trust to call the session of the National Assembly, then this further strengthens the stance of the opposition,” the PDM chief said. The tone in which Prime Minister Imran addressed the nation last night reflected his defeat the JUI-F chief said.
Sources said, “Fazlur Rehman held a consultation over the matter with Asif Ali Zardari and later they also took PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif into the confidence over the matter,” they said adding that both the leaders of the PML-N and PPP supported the suggestion from Fazlur Rehman.
It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Imran Khan will seek a vote of confidence afresh from the National Assembly on Saturday.
PM Imran Khan decided to take a vote of confidence from the lower house of Parliament after the government coalition-backed candidate Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost a Senate seat from Islamabad to a joint candidate of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Shaikh suffered defeat at the hands of Gilani in a major upset in yesterday’s Senate polls as the latter secured 169 votes as against 164 bagged by the former. The rejected votes played a key role in the opposition candidate’s win as these exceeded the margin of victory.
