Shehbaz Sharif led Oppn tables no-trust move against Pak PM Khan

Islamabad: Pakistan's Leader of the Opposition and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Monday tabled a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan who is facing his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018.

As the much-anticipated session began after a two-day recess on Monday, Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri asked the members of the Parliament, who are in favour of the motion, to stand up to that their numbers could be counted. Sharif first moved a resolution to allow tabling of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, the lower house of bi-cameral parliament, which was approved by 161 yes votes.

Deputy Speaker Suri, who was chairing the session in the absence of Speaker Asad Qaidar, ruled that the "permission is granted to present the no-confidence resolution". It was followed by tabling of the no-confidence motion by Sharif, capping the first phase of the constitutional procedure. "Through this resolution, under clause 1 of Article 95 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, this House resolves that it has no confidence in the prime minister, Mr Imran Khan Niazi, and consequently, he shall cease to hold office under clause 4 ibid," he said. Since the voting should be held between 3-7 days, Suri prorogued the session until 4 pm March 31, when it would reconvene for debate and voting.

Prime Minister Khan needs 172 votes in the house of 342 to foil the bid. Since Khan's allies with 23 members are still not committed to support him and about two dozen lawmakers from within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have revolted, the situation was still fluid. The country plunged into uncertainty on March 8 after the combined opposition submitted the motion with the National Assembly along with a requisition to the speaker to summon the session within mandatory 14 days.