No-confidence motion against Pak PM Imran Khan tabled in parliament
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Islamabad: A no-confidence motion to remove Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan was moved in the National Assembly on Monday, the speaker of the lower house, Qasim Suri, said.
The motion was tabled by the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif.
Sharif first moved a resolution to allow tabling of the no-confidence motion, which was approved by 161 yes votes. It was followed by the tabling of the no-confidence motion by Sharif, capping the first phase of the constitutional procedure.
"The prime minister ceases to hold his office after he has lost the confidence of this house," Sharif said, reading from the no-confidence motion telecast live on television.
The session was adjourned till March 31 right after tabling of the motion, Dawn.com reported.
As per reports, the vote will have to be called no earlier than three days and no later than 7 days, which means that the earliest the vote can take place is on March 31.
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.
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, Rashid said the no-confidence resolution would be decided by March 31, adding that Khan was not going anywhere. "People must shun the idea that Imran's politics is teetering on the brink, especially after his 'great' rally in Islamabad a day ago," he said, and termed the move as "a conspiracy to weaken Pakistan".
The move comes as Pakistan faces a recurring economic crisis, with Khan's government banking on the International Monetary Fund to release the next tranche of a $6 billion rescue package to shore up dwindling foreign currency reserves.
The 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician 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.