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The Supreme Court ruling, which has reactivated the Pakistani parliament and government, is seen as a major setback for the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan will be put to a vote on April 9 (today). Imran Khan is said to have no majority in parliament.
What will happen in the Pakistani parliament on Saturday?
The Supreme Court has ruled that the agenda for the April 3 session of parliament, which includes a vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan, will be implemented on April 9. Imran Khan’s political future will be determined by this vote in parliament. He can continue as prime minister if the council trusts him, otherwise a referendum will be held to make another parliamentarian the next prime minister of the country.
Does Imran Khan still have a majority in parliament?
Imran Khan’s PTI still has a majority in parliament. But the party could not rule alone. Pakistan needs 172 seats to form a government.
The PTI won a total of 155 seats in the 2018 elections. The regime was formed with the help of coalition parties. The situation now is that more than twenty PTI MPs have left the party. The three largest coalition parties in the Imran government received a total of 17 votes. The two parties have reached an agreement declaring their support for the opposition coalition.
How will the vote of no confidence take place?
Voting will take place by open ballot, as will the election of the Prime Minister. The Speaker will divide the House into two galleries, declaring that those in favor of the resolution should go to one gallery and those opposed to it to another gallery. If a motion of no confidence is passed against the incumbent Prime Minister, the Speaker shall notify the Chancellor in writing.
What if Imran Khan loses the referendum?
If Imran Khan loses the vote against him, he will not be able to continue as Prime Minister. But he will continue to be a Member of Parliament. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has legislation to nominate him as its candidate for re-election. If Imran Khan fails, the names of the other candidates in parliament for the new prime minister will be submitted and a referendum will be held.
Why the referendum for the second time?
Once the no-confidence motion is tabled in Parliament, the powers of the Prime Minister will be reduced. In that case, the prime minister could not dissolve parliament. He has only two options. Resigning or facing a referendum.
On Sunday, April 3, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri rejected the no-confidence motion, citing Section 5 of the Constitution, just before the vote. The powers of the Prime Minister were then restored. At the same time, Prime Minister Imran Khan recommended to President Arif Alvi on national television that the parliament be dissolved.
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It was immediately adopted and Parliament was dissolved.
On Thursday, April 7, the Supreme Court ruled that the Deputy Speaker had acted unconstitutionally by rejecting the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Supreme Court overturned the decision of the Deputy Speaker, the Prime Minister and the President. That is why the vote in Parliament is being held again.
What is the position of the Pakistan Army in this political crisis?
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the Pakistan military’s media and public relations arm (PR), said at the outset of the political crisis in the country that the military had no political involvement and was “completely neutral”.
When the Deputy Speaker ruled against the opposition’s resolution, Maj. Gen. Babur Iftikhar, the director general of the ISBR, said that what happened on April 3 in parliament had not been approved by the military and had nothing to do with the incident.
Which is the largest party currently in parliament?
After Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the PML-N has the largest number of seats. The party has 84 members in parliament. Shahbaz Sharif, the largest opposition party in the world, was elected Leader of the Opposition in 2018.
When the opposition brought a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan, they unanimously nominated Shahbaz Sharif as their next prime ministerial candidate.
Will there be a new Prime Minister in Pakistan or will the election take place after a parliamentary vote?
After the vote on the opposition resolution in parliament, all parties will be asked to name candidates for the new prime minister if Imran Khan does not continue as prime minister. Within 24 hours, parliament will reconvene and hold an open ballot to elect a new prime minister.
If Imran Khan does not resign before the polls and all PTI members resign at the same time, by-elections to those seats will take place, not the general election, without losing the election and sitting in opposition. Only the next prime minister can decide whether to hold a general election or not.