Pakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday strictly directed his party lawmakers to either abstain or not attend the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the no-confidence motion against him, which is likely to be held in the first week of April. The instructions came a day after Pakistan's opposition on Monday tabled the no-trust motion in the National Assembly against Khan, who is facing his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018; defections in his party and cracks in the ruling coalition appeared to have made his position fragile.
In a letter to the PTI lawmakers, Prime Minister Khan, who is the party's chairman, said: "All the members of the (PTI) in the National Assembly shall abstain from voting/not attend the meeting of the National Assembly on the date when the said resolution is set out on the agenda," Geo News reported. All members are "required to adhere to his directions in true letter and spirit" and should keep in mind the "intention behind the provision of Article 63(A) of the Constitution of Pakistan," he said.
It is still not clear what the whip issued by Imran Khan will achive.
Numbers in Pakistan parliament
The Pakistani National Assembly has 342 members, with 172 being the majority mark. However, Khan's allied party MQM-P has defected. This would mean Khan's PTI has 164 members in support, and the combined opposition has 177.
The voting on the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan will be held on April 3, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said on Tuesday. Rashid was addressing the media here in the federal capital over the latest political situation after the Opposition parties submitted a no-confidence motion against Khan on Monday during a session of the National Assembly. “There will be a debate on the no-confidence motion on March 31, followed by voting on April 3,” he said, adding that Khan would emerge victorious.
Around 100 lawmakers from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) submitted the no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government led by Prime Minister Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.
Meanwhile, at least three allies, including the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), the Pakistan Muslims League-Quaid (PML-Q) and the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) with their 17 members have indicated to join the opposition.
-Inputs from agencies