Islamabad, Pakistan: The circles close to PTI leadership indicate that Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar will hold voting on the No-Confidence Motion on April 4, 2022.
It may be mentioned that the Session of National Assembly was adjourned on March 25 till March 28 and the motion of vote of no confidence moved by the opposition was not taken by the Speaker Asad Qaisar because this is a tradition that the first day of any session can be adjourned after performing dua e maghfrat (prayers for departed souls) for member/members of the National Assembly who died after the end of the last session of the House (National Assembly).
The opposition claims that Speaker Asad Qaisar is using delaying tactics for voting on Vote of No-confidence and he has already violated the Constitution of Pakistan by not calling session within 14 days after the requisition for Vote of No Confidence.
The session that had been adjured till March 28 has over 10 items on agenda including the vote of no confidence. Speaker has right to take up agenda items one by one for further delaying voting No Confidence Motion.
It may be remembered that around 14 members of the ruling PTI have already announced to leave the party therefore sitting Prime Minister Imran Khan has virtually lost the majority of 172 members that is needed to stay as prime minister. Now Treasury benches strength is 166 members but the prime minister will remain, prime minister, unless he will be voted out from the House and voting can be delayed by the Speaker for many days or even for many weeks because he does not care what Constitution says and he has already flouted Constitution by not calling the session within 14 days after the submission of the requisition for Vote of Confidence because the last date of 14 days was March 21 but Speaker called the session on March 25 and not adjured the session without voting till March 28.
The 1973 Constitutions provide ample powers to Speaker and he can rescue the prime minister at every level if he forgets the Constitutional obligations and it is categorical that he avoiding following Constitution and has already flouted the Constitution of not calling the session within 14 of receiving the requisition of session for Vote of No Confidence. It is possible that Speaker will not follow Article 95 of the Constitution that directs the Speaker:
- A resolution for a vote of no-confidence moved by not less than twenty per centum of the total
membership of the National Assembly may be passed against the Prime Minister by the National Assembly.
- A resolution referred to in clause (1) shall not be voted upon before the expiration of three days, or later than seven days, from the day on which such resolution is moved in the National Assembly.
- A resolution referred to in clause (1) shall not be moved in the National Assembly while the National Assembly is considering demands for grants submitted to it in the Annual Budget Statement.
- If the resolution referred to in clause (1) is passed by a majority of the total membership of the National Assembly, the Prime Minister shall cease to hold office.
It may be remembered that PTI got 150 seats in National Assembly out of the 2018 general elections but it needs 172 members to keep the prime minister in the chair while his 14 members have expressed that they are not with the government. However, the return of dissident members is possible and that is why Speaker is delaying the voting. PTI government managed the strength of 189 members in the House through political alliances with different political parties including MQM (Pakistan), PML (Q), BAP, GDA, and others. All allied parties are today standing with Prime minister Imran Khan and nobody knows with whom they would stand on voting day and they are engaged with opposition as well as with the government. Balochistan National Party (Akhtar Mengal) that had been supporting Prime minister Imran Khan is now openly standing with opposition.
