ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday strengthened the Finance Minister’s embarrassing defeat in the Senate elections, warming the legitimacy of his government by securing a trust vote in the National Assembly amid a call for boycott by opposition parties.
Imran Khan secured 178 votes in the 342-member lower house of Parliament during a special session held on the instructions of Pakistan President Arif Alvi. A simple majority required a total of 172 votes.
The floor test took place without opposition as the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) – a coalition of 11 parties – boycotted the vote.
The 68-year-old cricketer-turned-politician on Wednesday decided to seek a confidence vote in the lower house of parliament after defeating his finance minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh in the near-term election to the Senate. The opposition demanded the Prime Minister’s resignation after Malamas.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi moved a point-to-point resolution in the House.
The motion states that this House reiterates the trust under the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, Imran Khan, clause (7) of Article 91 of the Constitution 91 of Pakistan.
A total of 172 votes in the 342-member House required a simple majority. The ruling coalition had 181 members, but after the resignation of one of its MLAs, Faisal Voda, its strength was reduced to 180. The opposition coalition has 160 members in the House. One seat was vacant.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) had 157 members in NA, but after the resignation of Voda, it now has 156 members in the National Assembly. The ruling party has said that Voda can vote during the confidence motion as his resignation has not yet been accepted. However, the opposition insisted that he could not vote as he has resigned.
The ruling party’s allies include seven from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), five from the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) and three from the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), three from the Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) and one to one . AML and JWP.
On Friday, Prime Minister Khan chaired a meeting of parliamentary parties at Prime Minister’s House (PMH), in which all members of the National Assembly (MNA) of the ruling coalition were asked to vote for the Prime Minister, otherwise disqualified him. can go.
According to a Cabinet member, 175 MPs from the ruling coalition attended the parliamentary party meeting at PMH.
notes
Imran Khan held separate meetings with the leaders of the ruling coalition. All the allies – MQM, PML-Q and GDA lent their support.