Pakistan News Live Updates: No-trust motion moved against Imran Khan, Pak Punjab CM also resigns

Balochistan Awami Party has parted ways with PTI: clearing its stance on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly, BAP Parliamentary Leader Khalid Magsi on Monday said that the party will vote in favour of the motion.

Pakistan's opposition on Monday tabled a no-trust motion in the National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan who is facing his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018 as defections in his party and cracks in the ruling coalition appeared to have made his position fragile. As the much-anticipated session began after a two-day recess on Monday, Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri asked the members of the Parliament, who are in favour of the motion, to stand up so that their numbers could be counted.

After the no-confidence motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was tabled in the National Assembly with a total of 161 votes in favour, the proceedings were adjourned till March 31.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Monday announced Leader of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its candidate for Punjab chief minister after Usman Buzdar resigned from the top post. PM Imran Khan's aide on political communication, Shahbaz Gill, made the announcement of the name of Elahi on the social media platform Twitter, reported Dawn. Gill also claimed that PML-Q announced support to PM in the no-confidence motion.

Pakistan's opposition leaders on Monday slammed Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's Islamabad power show and termed his Sunday speech a "farewell address". Pakistan Muslim League (N) vice president Maryam Nawaz said Imran Khan had nothing to reveal at the much-trumpeted public meeting, the Dawn newspaper reported.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's party said on Monday that it will support ally PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Punjab chief minister candidate, in a bid to placate allies of the ruling coalition to vote against a no-trust motion introduced by the opposition in the National Assembly.

Pakistan's Leader of the Opposition and PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif on Monday tabled a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan who is facing his toughest political test since assuming office in 2018.

As the much-anticipated session began after a two-day recess on Monday, Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri asked the members of the Parliament, who are in favour of the motion, to stand up to that their numbers could be counted.

Sharif first moved a resolution to allow tabling of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly, the lower house of bi-cameral parliament, which was approved by 161 yes votes.

Deputy Speaker Suri, who was chairing the session in the absence of Speaker Asad Qaidar, ruled that the "permission is granted to present the no-confidence resolution".

It was followed by tabling of the no-confidence motion by Sharif, capping the first phase of the constitutional procedure.

"Through this resolution, under clause 1 of Article 95 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, this House resolves that it has no confidence in the prime minister, Mr Imran Khan Niazi, and consequently, he shall cease to hold office under clause 4 ibid," he said.

Since the voting should be held between 3-7 days, Suri prorogued the session until 4 pm March 31, when it would reconvene for debate and voting.
Prime Minister Khan needs 172 votes in the house of 342 to foil the bid. Since Khan’s allies with 23 members are still not committed to support him and about two dozen lawmakers from within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf have revolted, the situation was still fluid.

The country plunged into uncertainty on March 8 after the combined opposition submitted the motion with the National Assembly along with a requisition to the speaker to summon the session within mandatory 14 days.

Though the session was called on March 25, three days after the deadline, the speaker refused to allow the motion to be tabled.

Meanwhile, Khan's party announced that it will support ally Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as its chief ministerial candidate in Punjab, in a bid to placate the important ally of the ruling coalition to vote against the no-trust motion in the lower house.

"Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf will support Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as a candidate for the chief minister [in Punjab] and the PML-Q has announced to support PM amid in no-confidence motion," the prime minister's aide on political communication, Shahbaz Gill, made the announcement on twitter in Urdu.

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib said that Prime Minister Khan has nominated Elahi for the post. Khan's protege and hand-picked Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar presented his resignation to the prime minister on Monday.

The PML-Q, an important ally of the PTI at the Centre and the Punjab province, has acquired a central role in the ongoing political drama despite having only five Members of the National Assembly.

The PML-Q had reportedly asked Prime Minister Khan to announce Elahi as the replacement of Punjab Chief Minister Buzdar before calling the National Assembly session to take up the Opposition’s no-trust motion. Buzdar's removal was also sought by Prime Minister Khan's closest confidants in the party.

"Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi meets Prime Minister Imran Khan. All issues were settled in the meeting. PML-Q expresses confidence in PM and announces support. Chief Minister Usman Bazdar tenders his resignation to PM. Prime Minister Imran Khan has decided to nominate Chaudhry Pervez Elahi as the new Chief Minister of Punjab," Habib wrote on Twitter.

Earlier, a no-confidence motion was also filed against Buzdar.

Chief Minister of Punjab (in Pakistan), Usman Buzdar has tendered his resignation after no-trust motion was moved against him, reports Pakistan media.

While there have been two attempts, no Pakistan PM has been removed  through no-confidence motion so far. The first no-trust motion was moved against prime minister Benazir Bhutto in 1989. Shaukat Aziz also survived on the PM post surviving no-confidence motion in 2006.

In a massive show of strength ahead of a crucial no-confidence motion against his government, Pakistan’s embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed a mammoth rally in the national capital where he claimed that foreign powers were involved in a ‘conspiracy’ to topple his coalition government.

The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has said Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi of PML-Q will be Punjab CM candidate. The announcement was made on Twitter by Shahbaz Gill, PM Imran Khan's aide.

A debate on the Motion has been scheduled for March 31. A total of 161 MNAs supported the resolution against PM Imran Khan in the National Assembly.

Pakistan Leader of Opposition (LoP) Shehbaz Sharif moves no-confidence motion against Imran Khan in Pakistan National Assembly. The discussion on this will be held on March 31.

Several Pakistani celebrities have entered the social media arena to publicly advocate for the prime minister Imran Khan, ahead of the no-trust vote.

Actors Haroon Shahid and Ahmed Ali Butt showed their support on-ground at Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf's (PTI) mega rally that was held in Islamabad on March 27.

Talking to reporters after submitting the resolution, PML-N lawmaker Rana Mashhood said that the Opposition will also bring a no-trust motion against National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Senate Chairman Sadiq Sanjrani.

"It is a writing on the wall that both Imran Khan and Usman Buzdar cannot survive the no-confidence motions therefore the only honourable exit for them is to resign," he said, adding that the Opposition has more than the required numbers to send the Buzdar government home.

To a question, Mashhood said that the name of the new chief minister will be announced at an appropriate time.

Pakistan’s Opposition on Monday submitted a no-trust move against Punjab Chief Minister Usman Buzdar, weeks after moving a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Pakistan has been on the edge since Opposition parties on March 8 submitted the no-confidence motion before the National Assembly Secretariat, alleging that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government led by Prime Minister Khan was responsible for the economic crisis and the spiralling inflation in the country.

The PML-Q, the key ally of the government which has 10 seats in the Punjab Assembly, has already hinted at joining hands with the Opposition. The PML-Q claims that it has been offered the Punjab chief minister slot by the Opposition in return for supporting the no-confidence motion against Khan.

The political temperature has been slowly reaching a boiling point in the wake of the no-trust move by the Opposition on March 8, if it gets placed today. The make and break point for prime minister Khan is likely to be reached by the end of next week.

Pakistan opposition parties are confident that they can get the support of 172 members in the house of 342 to dislodge the government, while the government claims that it enjoys the required support in the house to foil the attempt.

Imran Khan, 69, came to power in 2018 with promises to create a ‘Naya Pakistan’ but miserably failed to address the basic problem of keeping the prices of commodities in control, giving air to the sails of opposition ships to make war on his government.