Wednesday, 9 March, 2022 I 5 Shaʽban, 1443 I Rs 15.00 I Vol XII No 250 I 12 Pages I Lahore Edition
OppOsitiOn subMits nO-trust MOtiOn against pM khan
Imran says attempts to dethrone him won’t succeed ISLAMABAD Staff RepoRt
ISLAMABAD
M
Staff RepoRt
embers of the opposition in the National Assembly on Tuesday submitted a noconfidence motion against the prime minister. Officials of the National Assembly secretariat confirmed that opposition members had submitted the motion. Pakistan muslim League-Nawaz (PmL-N) Information secretary marriyum Aurangzeb said National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser was not present in his office which is why the document was submitted with the secretariat. The confirmation from Aurangzeb came after a delegation of opposition mPs, including rana sanaullah Khan, sardar Ayaz sadiq, marriyum Aurangzeb, and shazia marri had reached Parliament House in Islamabad. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) mP syed Naveed Qamar said the motion, which calls for the requisition of a National Assembly session, had signatures of more than 100 mPs. The rules of business state that in order for a session to be requisi-
tioned to vote on a no-confidence motion, signatures from at least 68 mPs are required. The three parties — PmL-N, PPP and the muttahida majlis-i-Amal (mmA), a union of far-right parties including Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — combined have 154 seats in the National Assembly. Overall, the ruling coalition is supported by 176 mPs whereas the opposition enjoys the backing of 162 legislators. In order to make the no-confidence motion successful, the opposition requires the support of 172 mPs. After the filing of the motion, speaker Qaiser has between three to seven days to summon a session of the House to conduct voting. The opposition parties, seeking to oust Imran Khan, decided to move the no-confidence vote during a meeting of the PmL-N parliamentary party on monday. The decision was made by party president shahbaz sharif. The participants of the meeting were also directed to remain in Islamabad for at least three weeks, it said. The mPs were warned their absence during the
motion “won’t be tolerated”. since its inception in september 2020, at the peak of the coronavirus crisis, the Pakistan Democratic movement (PDm), a coalition of 11 political parties, has been staging public rallies across the country to ramp up pressure on the government of Imran Khan. In February, PDm president Fazlur rehman announced the opposition alliance has decided to move the motion against Khan and would contact the government’s allies in the Centre for this purpose. “All component parties in the PDm have agreed on bringing a no-confidence motion against these illegitimate rulers and contacting the government’s allies in this regard,” he had said. some political observers also believe the opposition is optimistic that a change in the Us presidency in January 2021, with Joe biden replacing President Donald Trump, could benefit their cause. Democrats, historically, have backed civilian supremacy in Pakistan. but regardless of who sits in the White House, the political situation in Pakistan is likely to remain volatile and unstable.
Prime minister Imran Khan on Tuesday expressed confidence all “designs and attempts made by the gang of corrupt politicians” against the government of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party will not succeed in fulfilling their purpose. Using the game of cricket as a metaphor, the prime minister said a captain is always ready to counter the attacks of his opponent team. “Whatever planning these corrupt [politicians] have done, I am ready to foil their attempts [to dislodge the government],” he said while addressing an event in connection with International Women’s Day at Fatima Jinnah Women University in rawalpindi. Khan reiterated that he was committed to the “war against corrupt politicians” he had waged. He said Pakistan, on the occasion of its creation in 1947 was envisioned as a country with a rule of law and vowed he would not give any relief to the corrupt political elite who had plundered the exchequer. “Once again, I’m making it loud and clear I won’t extend the gang of thieves and dacoits any relief in the
form of an NrO-like (national reconciliation ordinance) concession,” he said. He observed that a “powerful thief” was more detrimental to the country for blatantly quashing the sanctity of rule of law. In a thinly-veiled reference to deposed prime minister Nawaz shareef, Khan said certain corrupt politicians in possession of the luxury apartments in the city of London were refusing to surrender before the law. The prime minister said his government would be remembered for the historic steps taken for the empowerment of women in Pakistan. He recalled that Islam gave inheritance rights to women 1,500 years ago, however, regretted that a large population in Pakistan was denying the same to their women. Khan said his government made amendments in inheritance laws to ensure women’s ownership of property. He urged the students to raise awareness among women to get a realisation about their rights. He emphasised the role of educated women in the refinement of society and recalled how his mother helped him grow in life.
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