No trust vote: Pakistan PM Imran Khan gets relief; NA adjourned till Mar 28

International

oi-Prakash KL

Islamabad, Mar 25: In a temporary relief to Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, the crucial session of the National Assembly to deliberate on the no-confidence motion against him filed by the Opposition Parties is adjourned till March 28. Thus giving him a few more days to win back the trust of dissenters among his allies.

The session was wrapped up immediately after it had commenced with the recitation of Holy Quran and prayers for PTI MNA from Hangu, Khayal Zaman, and others who lost their lives during Peshawar and Sibi terror attacks, as per Pakistan Media. Citing parliamentary traditions, then NA Speaker Asad Qaiser adjourned the session till March 28 at 4 pm.

As per the traditions, only Fateha is offered and speeches to honour the deceased on the first session held after a death of a member. “Prior to this, NA sessions have been adjourned 24 times due to the demise of fellow parliamentarians,” Asad Qaiser said before announcing to adjourn the assembly session.

Imran Khan’s party is facing an internal revolt, with several members of the National Assembly (MNAs) deserting the PTI and joining the opposition ranks. The disgruntled MNAs numbering about two dozen, fearing backlash from the PTI central leadership and the cadres, lodged themselves at the Sindh House, a PPP-run facility.

They openly threatened to vote in favour of the no-confidence motion, European Times said in its report. The nine-member opposition alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) and Pakistan People Party (PPP) had signed the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government on March 8.

In the 342-member National Assembly, the party has 155 members and the support of 23 members from six other parties. It needs at least 172 members to sail through the no-confidence vote. With 24 of its own MNAs turning dissidents, PTI’s task of securing adequate numbers has become even more massive and, in fact, impossible.