Pakistan: No-trust motion against Imran Khan tabled

In Pakistan, a no-confidence motion to remove Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was tabled in the National Asssembly on Monday. The house will begin a debate on the motion, which was moved by opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, on Thursday, March 31. The Opposition parties are confident that they can get the support of 172 members in the house of 342 to dislodge the government, while the government claims that it enjoys the required support in the house to foil the attempt. On March 8, a joint Opposition submitted the motion with the National Assembly along with a requisition to the Speaker to summon the session within mandatory 14 days.

Imran Khan is heading a coalition government and can be removed if some of the partners decide to switch sides. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) has 155 members in the 342-member National Assembly and needs at least 172 lawmakers on its side to remain in the government. Though the session was called on March 25, three days after the deadline, the speaker had refused to allow the motion to be tabled. Earlier, interior minister Sheikh Rashid said a no-trust motion would take place on April 4 if the National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser allowed its tabling on Monday.

 As per media reports, Khan had called an urgent meeting and earlier held talks with Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar, who too is facing a no-confidence motion in the province. Buzdar later resigned and Pervaiz Elahi was later named the chief minister of Punjab. According to  information, an official handout, issued by the provincial assembly secretariat with signatures of 127 provincial lawmakers against Buzdar, while 120 signed the requisition notice to summon session within 14 days.