PDM to boycott PM Imran’s vote of confidence NA session
Stay tuned with 24 News HD Android App
Opposition parties, part of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), on Thursday decided not to attend the National Assembly’s (NA) session in which Prime Minister Imran Khan is due to take the vote of confidence from the lawmakers, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.
Quoting sources, the TV channel reported that PDM seniors namely Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman took the decision after consultation with each other.
Following the defeat of Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate for Senate elections from Islamabad, at the hands of PDM candidate Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, Prime Minister Imran Khan had, on late Wednesday night, decided to take a vote of confidence from the National Assembly.
The announcement was made by Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi during a press conference along with other federal ministers.
He said it was a bad day for democracy given the way the opposition had resorted to buying the votes that led to Gilani’s election. He regretted that the Election Commission of Pakistan could not take action to ensure a transparent election.
He said despite the video evidence, the ECP failed to take action against the PDM candidate.
Qureshi said that the win of the PTI candidate on the women's seat was evidence of the fact that opposition was involved in buying the votes as the opposition only bought votes for Gilani.
Meanwhile, sources have told 24News TV channel that Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked all members of the National Assembly belonging to the PTI not to go outside Islamabad and ensure their presence at the assembly’s session in which he is due to take a vote of confidence from them.
Amir Dogar, PTI’s chief whip, has conveyed these directions to the party legislators.
The PTI government has also decided to call the National Assembly session on Saturday, March 6, to seek a confidence vote for Prime Minister Imran Khan.