The Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly and Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif on Monday tabled the no-confidence motion in the lower house against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
As the power equations in Pakistan change, PM Khan’s political fate hangs in the balance. During the session, deputy national assembly Speaker Qasim Suri also asked the members of the Parliament who were in favour of the motion.
Speaker of the assembly Asad Qaiser assured the opposition leader shortly before the session that it would be adjourned after the no-confidence motion was tabled, reported ANI.
The leaders reportedly agreed that he session would resume and the house and there would be a debate on the motion.
The session was adjourned on Friday morning after the house paid tributes to Khayal Zaman, a member of the assembly from the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) who had passed away.
The motion was submitted on March 8 after the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) held a long march in capital Islamabad. With PTI lawmakers coming out against the PM, the opposition is confident that its motion will be successful.
Furthermore, almost 20 members from his own party who had sought refuge in the Sindh Hohuse in Islamabad but none showed up in the National Assembly on Friday, adding to PM Khan’s worries.
Notably, the Pakistan National Assembly has a cumulative strength of 342 members with 172 being the majority mark. The PTI led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members where Imran Khan led PTI held 155 seats.
The four major allies to PM Khan’s coalition are Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) having seven, five, five and three members respectively.
