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ISLAMABAD: The crucial session of National Assembly (NA) was adjourned till March 31 after Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif on Monday tabled a no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri presided over today’s session. Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif presented the motion in the lower house. “I will request that you [Suri] give permission to present this item in the house as the resolution was already on the agenda,” he said.
Subsequently, voting was held to determine the number of lawmakers in favour of the resolution. After the counting of the votes, the deputy speaker announced that 161 lawmakers had voted in favour of tabling the resolution and hence, the “permission is granted”.
Following the tabling of the resolution, the deputy speaker announced that debate on the resolution would begin on March 31. “The session is adjourned until 4pm on March 31,” he said.
The resolution was earlier expected to be tabled on Friday, but the proceedings were deferred after NA Speaker Asad Qaiser had adjourned the sitting within minutes and ignored Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif who wanted to seek the floor to deliver a speech.
He did not allow the opposition’s no-trust resolution to be tabled after offering fateha for the deceased Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA from Hangu, Khayal Zaman, as per the parliamentary tradition.
The opposition, which has 162 members, filed the conconfidence motion on March 8. The motion, moved by 152 opposition members, said that Prime Minister Imran had lost the confidence of the house. The ruling coalition currently has the support of 179 members of the National Assembly.
‘Fate of the resolution by Mar 31’
Addressing a press conference earlier in day, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid has said that the fate of the resolution is expected to be decided by March 31.
However, he had said the voting on the no-trust motion would take place on April 4 if the speaker allowed its tabling on Monday, hinting that the government could further delay the process.
Meanwhile, the opposition parties have planned to hold a strong protest inside and outside the National Assembly if the speaker further delays presenting the no-confidence motion.
