The crucial session of the National Assembly, which will determine the fate of the already troubled administration following the filing of a no-confidence resolution against the Prime Minister, will begin at 4 p.m. today (Monday).
The no-trust motion is one of 26 items on the lower house’s 26-point agenda for today’s session. The government-sponsored constitutional amendment bill requesting the creation of a province in south Punjab is another key topic on the assembly’s agenda.
Aside from these, several more ordinances will be moved during today’s session, with some of them requiring an extension.
The no-confidence resolution, on which 147 members of the assembly from opposition parties have signed, is the most important item on the agenda.
According to the proposal, the prime minister should be removed from office because he has lost his majority.
The no-trust resolution is scheduled to be introduced during the first half of the assembly session. The house would adopt it for discussion if 20% of the assembly members voted in favour of it.
Shehbaz Sharif, the head of the opposition in the National Assembly, will commence debate on the resolution.
The unified opposition, on the other hand, would convene in the assembly’s committee chamber before the session.
The conference would be attended by PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, JUI leader Maulana Asad Mehmood, Balochistan National Party (Mengal) Chief Akhtar Mengal, and other opposition figures.
During the huddle, the opposition would plan their tactics. It would also lay out a strategy for opposition members to deliver speeches on the floor of the House.
For today’s assembly session, strict security precautions have been planned. Members of parliament are not permitted to have guests with them. The Parliament House’s perimeter is also off-limits to security personnel.
In a house of 342, the opposition has the support of 163 MNAs. The number of Treasury members has been cut to 178 following the resignation of Jamhoori Watan Party chairman Shahzain Bugti on Sunday.
Three government allies, the PML-Q, the Balochistan Awami Party, and the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan, who together have 17 members in the legislature, have yet to decide which side they will support. These groups are still in talks with both the government and the opposition.
