ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan has asked National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to file a petition with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) seeking legal action and de-notification of PTI dissidents.
According to the publication, the directives came during a meeting of party spokespersons on Thursday, with the prime minister in the chair, as the political temperature in the country rises after several members of the ruling party publicly announced that they would vote their conscience on the no-trust motion against the premier.
PM Imran Khan also requested the Speaker of the National Assembly to take legal action against the party’s dissident MNAs after it was revealed that over 24 of them were living at Sindh House, causing political havoc in the country.
PTI members have taken up residence in Sindh House before the no-confidence vote, alleging they are “fearful” for their lives if they vote against the premier.
The meeting was attended by Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Adviser to the Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Babar Awan, Industries and Production Minister Khusro Bakhtyar, Senate Leader Shahzad Waseem, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Science and Technology Minister Shibli Faraz, state minister Farrukh Habib, and SAPM on Political Affairs Amir Dogar.
According to the magazine, the gathering discussed legal action against the disgruntled parliamentarians in great detail.
The prime minister told the participants that it was “clearly” written in the Constitution that a parliamentarian could be de-notified through the legal process for violating the party policy.
The Prime Minister stated that he would battle until the last ball was thrown and that no dissident would be spared. He claimed that large sums of money from Sindh were being utilized to buy PTI MNAs’ loyalty.
He questioned how three women MNAs elected on reserved seats could go against party policy, stating that he would not be swayed by the Opposition’s blackmail, and urging the meeting participants to remain calm until the no-confidence motion was defeated on March 28.
The ECP will decide on the speaker’s directives
Separately, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) said in a statement that it can only take action after getting a declaration from the NA speaker that members are voting against party policy or crossing the floor, according to The News.
According to the ECP, the Constitution has nothing to do with the prime minister’s election or a no-confidence motion because they are governed by the norms of the lower house.
In response to questions thrown at the electoral body in recent days, the ECP issued a statement saying it is being chastised by high government officials at various venues over the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The ECP said since the electoral body was being repeatedly mentioned on national television, it had become necessary for it to clarify its constitutional and legal responsibility.
The ECP stated that the NA speaker serves as the presiding officer throughout the prime ministerial election and the no-confidence motion and that the allegations made against the ECP about horse-trading and floor crossing are false.
The message went on to say that if a member crossed the floor, the party president would send a declaration to the speaker, who would subsequently send the declaration to the Election Commission.
The ECP will act on the declaration in accordance with the Constitution and the law, according to the statement.
The ECP noted that the government may alter the law to give the ECP more jurisdiction in this area if it so desired.
