MM News

ISLAMABAD: Opposition parties have reportedly prepared a draft for a no-confidence motion against the prime minister and request to requisition a session of the National Assembly.

According to reports, the opposition has finalised its preparation for no-trust motion and has prepared a draft for the motion which will be submitted to the assembly secretariat soon. The opposition has also prepared a requisition to summon a session of the National Assembly. The PML-N was given the responsibility to prepare the drafts and the office of Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif has been alerted for submission.

According to media reports, the draft is signed by more than 80 members of the National Assembly belonging to PML-N, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Awami National Party (ANP), Balochistan National Party Mengal (BNP-M) and other parties.

The move came a day after the opposition committee decided to move the no-confidence motion in the parliament against the prime minister. A nine-member opposition committee has recommended moving the no-trust move after through talks with political leaders as soon as possible. It expressed confidence that the motion would be successful even without the support of the allied parties.

PML-N was represented by Ayaz Sadiq, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Rana Sanaullah, Pakistan People’s Party was represented by Yousuf Raza Gilani, Raja Pervez Ashraf, and Naveed Qamar, while Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI) had selected Kamran Murtaza, Malana Asad Mehmood and Akram Durrani.

Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) head and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman on Wednesday said that the opposition alliance will move a no-confidence motion within 48 hours. He said that opposition parties have completed their homework and the next two days are crucial.

The opposition has tightened its grip over the PTI government with protest and the looming threat of a motion of no confidence. Meanwhile, the prime minister has also reached out to allies and disgruntled leaders amidst the opposition’s overtures.

Procedure

The rules of the National Assembly state that moving a no-confidence motion is a democratic way of removing the prime minister from office. “In this respect a resolution for a vote of no-confidence is moved by not less than 20% (68 lawmakers) of the total membership of the National Assembly. If the resolution is passed by majority of the total membership of the National Assembly, the prime minister immediately relinquished powers,” it states.

The lawmakers will have to submit a requisition to the NA speaker to call a session of the National Assembly for the no-confidence motion. Once the requisition is submitted, the speaker is bound by the constitution to call a session after three days and within seven days.

The voting will be held via open ballot just like it takes place for the prime minister’s election in the NA. Once the no-confidence motion is passed against an incumbent prime minister, the speaker will apprise the president in writing about the development, and the secretary will then have it published in a gazzette.