No-trust motion: Crucial NA session adjourned till Sunday after opposition's protest

 

ISLAMABAD, MAR 31: The crucial National Assembly session to debate the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, which resumed after a three-day recess on Thursday, was adjourned minutes after it began.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who presided over the session, adjourned the session till 11:30am on Sunday.

At the beginning of the session, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (SAPM) on Babar Awan moved a motion to adjourn the session so the assembly hall could be used for the Parliamentary Committee on National Security's meeting that was scheduled to be held at 6pm.

However, the motion was rejected after voting.

Subsequently, the speaker opened the floor for questions, however, the opposition MNAs continued to insist that the speaker call for a vote on the no-confidence motion today amid chants of "go Imran go".

Terming the opposition's attitude "non-serious", Suri adjourned the session till Sunday when the vote on the no-confidence motion is expected to take place.

He also announced that the meeting of the parliamentary committee would be held in Committee Room No 2.

The resolution against the embattled premier was tabled by the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on March 28 and it was approved for debate the very same day.

According to a 24-point agenda of the session today, the debate on the no-trust motion against the PM is fourth in order.

Yesterday, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said Prime Minister Imran Khan had decided to present a 'secret letter' — purportedly containing details of a "foreign conspiracy" to topple his government — during an in-camera session of the NA or a joint session of parliament, however, no date for when such a session would be called was given.

The premier hopes that after becoming aware of the alleged letter's contents, his party dissidents, as well as disgruntled allies, would change their mind to vote in favour of the no-trust resolution.

Yesterday, the premier had shared the letter with the cabinet members in a hurriedly called meeting, which was not attended by its two major allies — Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) — despite being invited.

The premier had also called a selected group of TV anchors and informed them that "the language of the letter was threatening and arrogant" and that Pakistan would face dire consequences if the no-confidence motion failed.

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Courtesy Dawn News

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