JOB DONE: PM Imran secures vote of confidence from NA after Senate upset

ISLAMABAD, MAR 6: Prime Minister Imran Khan secured majority votes on Saturday to win the vote of confidence from the National Assembly.

The special session was called in a show of strength by the premier himself after his party lost a crucial seat in the Senate elections.

The premier needed 172 votes to win the confidence vote. Announcing the result, the speaker said that eight years ago, Prime Minister Imran had been elected to the post with 176 votes. “Today, he has secured 178 votes,” he said.

Immediately after announcing the result, the speaker gave the floor to Amir Liaquat, who recited poetry as an ode to Imran Khan. After him, MQM's Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui took the floor and congratulated the premier on his success.

"You got the confidence [of the House], now it is your turn to return that confidence to the nation," Siddiqui said, asking the premier to fulfill his promises to his party and the country.

Earlier, lawmakers, including PM Imran, arrived at the Parliament House while PTI supporters and PML-N leaders gathered outside.

Tensions are high as both sides became confrontational and PML-N leaders alleged they had been manhandled.

Before the session began, Punjab CM Buzdar, Balochistan CM Jam Kamal, Senate Chairperson Sadiq Sanjrani and other officials met in NA Speaker Asad Qaiser's chamber, where they discussed the vote of confidence.

According to the participants of the meeting, the prime minister has "set a unique trend".

The session started at 12:15pm with recitation from the Holy Quran and a naat without the opposition in attendance. Later, the national anthem was played in the House at which all lawmakers stood up in respect.

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COURTESY DAWN NEWS

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