The National Assembly session for the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, which started after much delay, has been adjourned till Sunday 11:30am.
The NA Secretariat had issued the order of the day on Wednesday night, with a discussion on the no-trust move against the premier on the session’s agenda.
Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri chaired the session which was attended by more than 172 members from the opposition benches.
As the session kicked off, during the question and answer session, all the opposition members demanded the deputy speaker allow voting on the no-confidence motion.
At this, Suri said due to the “non-serious” attitude of the opposition lawmakers, the session is being adjourned till Sunday — almost 10 minutes after it had started — before the house could debate on the motion.
But despite the session’s adjournment, around 150 opposition lawmakers staged a sit-in in the lower house. However, they dispersed shortly afterwards.
PM Imran Khan has seemingly lost the majority in the lower house after PTI’s allies — the MQM-P, the BAP, the JWP, independent MNA from Balochistan Aslam Bhootani — decided to side with the opposition.
Later, several federal ministers, including Fawad Chaudhry and Asad Umar, claimed that PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif and Pakistan Democratic Movement’s (PDM) leadership are also involved in the “foreign conspiracy”.
“The resolution shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days, from the day on which the resolution is moved in the assembly,” the rules of the NA read.
MARRIYUM AURANZEB: Following the adjournment of the session, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the government is comprised of “cowards” who just talk big outside the parliament.
“They never allow the parliamentary proceedings to move forward […] during the question and answer session, every lawmaker asked when will the voting on no-confidence motion take place,” she said.
The PML-N leader claimed the treasury benches were chanting and wanted to clash with the opposition. “Don’t they have any manners?” Aurangzeb asked.
On the boycott of the National Assembly’s Security Committee meeting, the PML-N spokesperson said the Opposition was not informed about it. “We got to know about it through media, thus we are boycotting it.”
PM’S OFFER: A news channel, quoting sources, reported that PM Imran had earlier offered to dissolve the assembly if the no-confidence motion against him is withdrawn.
It reported that an “important personality” has given a message of PM Imran Khan to the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif.
This was revealed during the meeting of the opposition leaders on Thursday ahead of the crucial National Assembly session for the debate on the no-confidence motion.
It was shared that the premier has asked for a “safe passage” amid a deepening political crisis.
