ISLAMABAD: Keeping in view the fast political developments taking place, the federal government and the joint opposition on Saturday decided to change their strategies for vote on No-Confidence Motion to be held today.
In a complete change of strategy, Prime Minister Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) lawmakers decided to attend the proceedings of the no-confidence vote during National Assembly session.
It has been reported that PTI members will be present during the session and have their vote counted against the no-trust move in the lower house.
Earlier, PM Imran had formally barred the party’s lawmakers from attending the National Assembly session on the day of voting on the opposition’s no-confidence motion.
Opposition to keep PTI dissenters away from voting
The joint opposition has chalked out a strategy for casting votes during the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Sources revealed that the joint opposition has decided to tentatively ask the PTI dissident members to stay away from casting their votes against their party so that the process of voting would not become controversial in light of the forthcoming Supreme Court judgement on the presidential reference that has sought apex court’s interpretation of Article 63-A of Constitution that might invoke disqualification of the dissident members.
The joint opposition believes that with the help of its allies, it would achieve the required numbers in the lower house sans dissidents’ votes.
Sources said in case the opposition feels that it is short of numbers, only then it would ask the dissidents to cast their votes in favour of no-trust motion.
However, another source said that the opposition feared that keeping in view the public anger against the PTI dissenters, some lawmakers may change their mind in the last minute and hence they won’t be allowed to vote to make sure they only vote when and if needed.
The sources divulged that though the dissident members would be brought to the Parliament House but they would not take part in the voting.
Opposition sources said though the dissidents are willing to vote against prime minister, but the opposition does not want to make the process controversial.
Read No-trust motion tabled in NA amid hullabaloo
The premier issued the directives as the leader of the parliamentary party of PTI, a day after the no-confidence motion was tabled in the lower house of parliament against him by PML-N president and leader of the opposition in the house, Shehbaz Sharif.
The PTI chief also warned all lawmakers that “no member shall violate any instruction or extend any favour, relating to the vote of no confidence, to any other parliamentary party / group whatsoever”.
It added that any violation of these directions will be treated as “express defection in terms of Article 63-A”.
