No trust vote: Pak opposition leader Abbasi blames National Assembly Speaker Qaiser of being ‘biased’

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 21 (ANI): Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Shahid Khaqan Abbasi on Sunday expressed frustration over the delay in conducting voting on no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan and claimed that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is biased. Abbasi said that the right to bring about a no-confidence motion is democratic and a constitutional right, adding that the votes cannot be bought this time, reported Geo News. “The speaker was biased since day one, and is still showing his bias,” the senior leader claimed.

He also added that anyone who breaks the Constitution, regardless of whether it is the speaker of the National Assembly or the prime minister, will have to face Article 6 of the Constitution, reported Geo News. Expressing his frustration over the delay in holding the session for the vote of no confidence, he said, “votes can be bought with money”, suggesting that the current government has bought votes in the past to stay in power.

Abbasi also added that people now want to leave the government’s side and join the Opposition. “The biggest example of money laundering is foreign funding, and the NAB (National Accountability Bureau) and the FIA (Federal Investigation Agency) both are silent on this matter,” he said, suggesting that Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI’s) government foreign funding case could potentially be an insight into the party’s illegal activities, reported Geo News.
Throwing shade on the recent resignation of PM’s ex-adviser on accountability and interior leader Shahzad Akbar, Abbasi pleaded Imran Khan to tell where he is right now. A few months ago, Akbar stepped down from his office without giving a reason for his resignation.

Meanwhile, Qaiser convened a crucial session of the lower house to deliberate on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan on March 25, reported Geo News. According to a notification, the NA session will be held at Parliament House on Friday at 11 am. The 14-day constitutional deadline to convene the NA session on the Opposition requisition will expire on March 21.

Earlier today, the Opposition threatened Qaiser, saying that it will move against him if he did not follow the rules on Monday, aiming to prevent a delay of at least four days in the vote of no confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan. (ANI)

No-trust motion against Imran Khan: Bilawal Bhutto accuses Pak speaker of violating Constitution

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 21 (ANI): Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairperson and Opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday hit out at the National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaisar for violating the Constitution by not convening the NA session within two weeks of requisition request by the Opposition, local media reported. Addressing a press briefing, Bhutto pointed out that there was a 14-day limit after the requisition to call a session, stressing that the speaker could not go beyond the limit as it was “unconstitutional,” The Dawn reported.

The PPP leader further said that he had not thought that the government would move to “violate” the Constitution. “The government is now sensing its defeat and it is now making unconstitutional attempts,” Bhutto was quoted in the report. The development comes after the Pakistan National Assembly Speaker summoned a session of the National Assembly of Pakistan in Islamabad on March 25 for a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Bhutto also used the occasion to take jibes at Imran Khan, saying that the Prime Minister was hoping that the “neutrality status” of the establishment underwent a change, the report said. He was referring to the military spokesperson’s statement earlier that said the Army had nothing to do with politics, calling for an end to speculation regarding its role in political affairs. “There’s nothing called neutrality in politics, only animals stay neutral,” Imran Khan had said at a rally in Lower Dir on March 11 in a profanity-laced speech. Khan had used the rally to hurl abuses on several key Opposition leaders.
The Opposition parties in Pakistan are jettisoning mutual hatred to oust Imran Khan as they submitted the no-trust motion in the National Assembly secretariat on March 8.

While the Imran Khan government has exuded confidence to defeat the no-trust motion, the Opposition is sure that they will oust Khan.

No trust vote: Imran Khan warns Opposition it will ‘lose this match badly’

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 20 (ANI): Amid looming vote on no-confidence motion against him, Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday warned the Opposition saying “you are going to lose this match badly”, reported local media.

Referring to the disgruntled PTI lawmakers openly showing their defiance to the ruling government, Imran Khan alleged that they had been bought off by the Opposition, however, he would not use the same tactic of offering money to take them back in the fold, reported the Dawn newspaper.

“I curse on the government that requires me to bring back defected leaders using public money,” the media outlet quoted him as saying during a public rally in the Malakand area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

He further promised to “forgive” his MNAs who he alleged have been threatened to switch loyalty and vote against him in the National Assembly. “I will forgive you if you come back. We all commit mistakes. I am like a father who forgives his children and I will pardon you as well,” he stated, according to the media outlet.

However, his compassionate calls were laced with threats as he warned against consequences in case the dissident leaders decided to go against him. Imran Khan‘s remarks come as dozens of PTI MNAs came out in open defiance against the ruling party ahead of the no-confidence motion vote in the National Assembly.

Notably, in 342-seat National Assembly, the PTI-led ruling coalition has 178 seats and the opposition has 163 seats. As many as 172 votes are required for the success of the no-confidence motion and thus, the vote of dissident MNAs plays an important role. (ANI)