ISLAMABAD: The next weekend will clear all the mist and uncertainty currently surrounding the political arena about the future of Prime Minister Imran Khan as the National Assembly is all set to take up the no confidence motion by the weekend.
The no trust motion was tabled in the National Assembly on Monday. The house is all set to vote on it either on Saturday or Sunday.
Well informed sources told this correspondent that the Speaker is bound by the rules to complete the process by Sunday. From the day the resolution is moved, ‘it shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days,” according to the rules of procedure.
A vote of no-confidence against the prime minister is conducted by an open vote. The opposition requires the support of a simple majority i.e. 172 to make the no confidence resolution successful.
According to government sources, their MNAs or those not supporting the resolution will not turn up in the Assembly hall at the time of voting, saying it is the opposition which have to show the support of 172 members.
Prior to that, a fiery session of the National Assembly is expected to resume from tomorrow (Thursday) with both treasury and opposition benches coming face to face and trading barbs.
The treasury members will come out hard on turncoats as well as the opposition benches for ‘becoming part of the international conspiracy against the government’. The opposition benches on the other hand will criticize the government’s policies.
It merits mentioning here that no Prime Minister of the country has been removed through a no confidence resolution in past. Such motions in the past were moved against Benazir Bhutto and Shaukat Aziz but both remained unsuccessful in ousting the sitting Prime Ministers.
At present, both the treasury and opposition benches are confident to outsmart each other on the no confidence resolution.
Whilst the PTI has managed to secure the support of PML-Q, Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) has thrown its weight behind the opposition parties. As Zubaida Jalal, Federal Minister for Defense Production, has refused to follow the party line, it is not yet clear whether all the remaining members of the BAP will turn up on the day of voting.
According to political analysts, the situation is so fluid and uncertain that the number game could turn in the favor of any side on the day of voting.
