Pakistan’s opposition parties officially submitted the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan in the National Assembly (NA) Secretariat on Tuesday, accusing the PM of mismanaging the economy and poor governance.
The opposition, whose request requires Khan to gather support for a parliamentary vote of confidence, needs a simple majority of 172 to pass the motion. Sources within the opposition allege that they are confident of gaining the support of at least 202 NA members.
As of now, the opposition has submitted two sets of documents: one under Article 54 of the Constitution to requisition the NA, as it is currently not in session, and another resolution calling for a no-confidence vote against the embattled PM. According to Article 54 of the Pakistani Constitution, an NA session can be requested if at least 25% of the members sign it, following which the speaker has a maximum of 14 days to summon a session.
#BREAKINGNEWS Pakistan's Opposition members filed a no-confidence motion in the @NAofPakistan Secretariat against Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to the constitution and law, the Speaker will convene a meeting of the Assembly within two weeks. pic.twitter.com/osbVvDzZIP
— Ghulam Abbas Shah (@ghulamabbasshah) March 8, 2022
According to Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) lawmaker Naveed Qamar, the requisition has received more than enough support by gathering the signatures of 140 MNAs of the 340-member strong Parliament.
Following this, PM Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Party held a consultative meeting, wherein lawmakers pledged to foil the opposition’s bid to oust him from power. Moreover, Khan’s also summoned the Attorney General of Pakistan to discuss the legal aspects of the motion.
Lots of buzz about an upcoming no-confidence vote for Imran Khan. No predictions from me. But I'll say this: There's often been noise about threats to IK's hold on power over his nearly 4 years in office, and each time it's ended up being much ado about nothing. So there's that.
— Michael Kugelman (@MichaelKugelman) March 7, 2022
Although the no-trust motion is being described as the toughest challenge that Khan has faced since his election in 2018, the PM has not shown any signs of backing down. “Opposition will be defeated and we are not scared of no-trust motion,” he told his party members.
Khan also boasted that he is confident that the current government will continue to hold on to power and that this was the opposition’s last move. “After this, nothing will happen against this government till 2028... Opposition will face a humiliating defeat,” he declared. He further asserted that the Pakistani armed forces were on his side, and that they would “never support thieves.”
Furthermore, Khan accused the opposition’s activities of being backed by monetary incentives. “My lawmakers are being offered Rs 180 million ($1 million) [to support the no-confidence motion]. I told them to take the money and distribute it among the poor,” Khan alleged.
Congrats Chairman @BBhuttoZardari &Jiyalas for successful longest #AwamiMarch of history, Wazir-e-Azam Bilawal & Bhutto Dey Naary Wajjan Gey echoed from Karachi to Islamabad for 10 days. #GoSelectedGo has become national slogan. Now time for #NoConfidenceMotion in Parliament. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/UAE9hMgIhP
— Abdul Majid Kalwar (@Majid_PSF) March 9, 2022
The key concerns of the opposition alliance for removing Khan are rising terrorist attacks, surging inflation, and unemployment. To this end, PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has previously stressed, “All opposition parties agree that no matter which one of them forms the government with a fresh mandate, it will have the power to get the people out of the tough times they are currently in.”
In fact, in order to realise its political ambitions, Zardari led a 10-day march, popularly being referred to as the Awami March, against the PM. The rally started from Karachi, continued onto Sahiwal, Okara, Pattoki, Lahore, and reached Islamabad on Tuesday night. Matching Zardari’s intentions, Pakistan Muslim League’s Rana Sanaullah said that he is “100%” sure that the no-confidence motion would culminate successfully.
Regardless of Khan’s confidence about remaining in power, this whole episode has weakened the PTI’s grip on power. In fact, the party’s own leader, Aleem Khan, who has previously been a close aide of PM Khan, joined a breakaway faction led by estranged leader Jahangir Khan Tareen. Furthermore, Khan has also received lukewarm support from coalition partners such as the Pakistan Muslim League (Q) (PML-Q) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).