Islamabad [Pakistan], March 18 (ANI): Pakistan government decided to approach the Supreme Court to seek a ruling on whether disgruntled lawmakers from Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party could lose their seats ahead of a no-confidence vote against him.

According to state-media Geo tv, Pakistan Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Friday said that the federal government has decided to approach the country’s top court for interpretation of Article 63-A.
“… we will seek the Supreme Court’s interpretation as to what will be the standing of a party member’s vote who is found in violation of the party’s policy and is involved in horsetrading,” the federal minister said.

According to Article 63 (A) of the Pakistan Constitution, a parliamentarian can be disqualified on grounds of defection if he “votes or abstains from voting in the House contrary to any direction issued by the parliamentary party to which he belongs, in relation to election of the prime minister or chief minister; or a vote of confidence or a vote of no-confidence; or a money bill or a Constitution (amendment) bill”, Dawn reported.

The information minister said the government would seek the apex court’s guidance on whether a person, who shifts loyalty for monetary benefit, should be ineligible for a lifetime for becoming a lawmaker or whether they could contest polls again and be elected to parliament. “The Supreme Court will be requested to hear the case on a daily basis,” he said.

This comes during a consultative meeting of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s political committee held today with Prime Minister Imran Khan in the chair. The meeting was convened to discuss the legal options available to act against the disgruntled lawmakers and counter the Opposition’s move to dislodge the government of Imran Khan, Geo tv reported. It is reported that 24 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf sought refuge in Sindh House ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister.

MNAs said that if PM Khan assures them no action will be taken against them, they are ready to go back to Parliament Lodges, reported Geo News. PTI’s disgruntled member of the National Assembly Raja Riaz said that many other ministers are ready to come here, however, “Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) is unable to accommodate all the members.”

However, those lawmakers reportedly shifted from Sindh House to unknown locations. Meanwhile, PTI party workers staged a violent protest in Islamabad today and barged into the Parliamentary lodges to throw the lawmakers out. The party workers chanted slogans against the disgruntled lawmakers. (ANI)

Pakistan Foreign Minister Qureshi refuses to accept ‘Minus-Imran’ government

Islamabad [Pakistan], March 18 (ANI): Ahead of the no-confidence motion against the Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan and amid the ongoing political turmoil in the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi asserted the party’s allegiance to Khan and said that there was “no room for Minus-Imran”. Addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, Qureshi said the party will not abandon the prime minister. He made these comments at a time when there were rumours that the PTI party would need to distance itself from Imran Khan in order to survive the current political turmoil, reported The Friday Times.

Qureshi told the party members stationed at Sindh House, that the party was ready to listen to their “valid concerns” as “sensible people”.

Notably, the PTI lawmakers were staying at the Sindh House fearing government action against them like the one they witnessed when the Islamabad police had raided the Parliament Lodges a week ago.
“If they were elected on the bat [PTI’s election insignia] there were hopes attached to them. There are disagreements in every party but these are resolved. You cannot sit in the lap of opponents,” he said.
Furthermore, he stated that those Members of National Assembly (MNAs) who have chosen to align themselves with the opposition would be issued show-cause notices adding that a presidential reference would be moved against them.

Qureshi also refuted the calls for governor rule in Sindh, saying “There was no plan to impose governor rule in Sindh, neither there will be,” reported The Friday Times. 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. (ANI)