Govt working on plan to prove majority in NA

ISLAMABAD: The ruling alliance is working on a plan to face and defeat a possible move of the PTI forcing it to seek a trust vote from the National Assembly through a presidential advice to prime minister.

A National Assembly session, summoned by the president, will commence today (Monday), in which political and law and order situation will be discussed. The session is likely to continue for more than two weeks and the president could advise the prime minister to prove his majority in the House under Article 91 of the Constitution.

The article says “The Cabinet (7) The Prime Minister shall hold office during the pleasure of the President, but the President shall not exercise his powers under this clause unless he is satisfied that the Prime Minister does not command the confidence of the majority of the members of the National Assembly, in which case he shall summon the National Assembly and require the Prime Minister to obtain a vote of confidence from the Assembly.”

PTI Chairman Imran Khan has publicly announced that he would ask President Arif Alvi to force Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to show his majority support in the assembly. The advice could be issued by the president during the upcoming session on any day.

Parliamentary sources told The News on Sunday that the PTI had smelled in recent days that MQM-Pakistan under Dr Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui was not comfortable with the ruling alliance. It speculated that the MQMP could part ways with the ruling alliance and in that eventuality the PTI would have an ample opportunity to remove Prime Minister Shehbaz and his government. The MQM announced Saturday evening that it would continue to be a part of the government. The PTI has already completed its working and the president could invoke action under Article 91 of the Constitution after receiving a signal from Zaman Park, Lahore, sources said.

The president will write to the National Assembly Speaker for ascertaining the majority support in the house by the prime minister. The ruling alliance has asked its legislators to reach Islamabad by afternoon today. A joint parliamentary party meeting of the PDM would take place an hour before the start of the sitting. It will be chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Sources pointed out that the House would also discuss the rising terrorism in different parts of the country.

In the meanwhile, the NA Secretariat has issued the agenda for the opening day. The House will discuss, consolidate and amend the law relating to territorial sea and maritime zones of Pakistan (The Pakistan Maritime Zones Bill, 2021) as reported by the Standing Committee. Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif will present the bill.

PPP Member from Karachi, Qadir Khan Mandokhail, through a call-attention notice will take up a matter of urgent public importance on “non-professional attitude of staff” of Pathology Department, PIMS, Islamabad, with patients, causing grave concern amongst the public.

Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) leader Ghous Bux Mahar will invite the attention of the Minister for Aviation Division to a matter of urgent public importance on non-availability of AMBU lifter at Begum Nusrat Bhutto International Airport, Sukkur, causing concern in the public.