No-trust motion on agenda as NA meets today

Islamabad: National Assembly session will be held today at 4 pm in Parliament House after an interval of two days. The session will be presided over by National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

The Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, is likely to move a no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan when the lower house of Parliament meets after two-day break on Monday afternoon.

The resolution of no-confidence is the next item after the Question-Hour in 27-point order of the day released by the National Assembly Secretariat for March 28 (Monday). "This House is of the view that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan, has lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the National Assembly of Pakistan, therefore, he should cease to hold office," the resolution bearing signatures of 152 opposition members said. The Rule 37(4) of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly says the leave to move the resolution shall be asked for after Question-Hour, if any, and before any other business entered in the order of the day.

The Rule 37(5) says that the Speaker may after considering state of business shall allot a day or two for discussion on the motion. As per Article 95 of the Constitution and Assembly’s rules, a resolution of no-confidence against the Prime Minister shall not be voted before expiry of three days and not later than seven days from the day, it was moved.

The Speaker, Asad Qaisar, the sources said, is expected to allow voting on the resolution on April 04. The order of the day for Monday also includes introduction of a bill for a separate South Punjab province. Minister for Foreign Affairs Shah Mahmood Qureshi will introduce further to amend the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan [The Constitution (26th Amendment) Bill, 2022] in this regard.

Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs will introduce a Bill further to amend the Elections Act, 2017 [The Elections (Second Amendment) Bill, 2022]. The combined opposition had requisitioned the National Assembly along with a notice of no-confidence resolution submitted in the National Assembly Secretariat on March 08. The proceedings on the first day (March 25) were adjourned after Fateha for departed soul of deceased MNA Khayal Zaman.