PM Shehbaz secures vote of confidence from NA amid political wrangling

FM Bilawal Bhutto tabled resolution seeking trust vote

ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday obtained the vote of confidence from the National Assembly with 180 votes going in his favour.

As many as 172 votes were required to secure the trust vote in the assembly of 342 members. However, the death of former minister for religious affairs Mufti Abdul Shakoor reduced the total number to 341. Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto tabled the resolution seeking trust vote in the NA.

The resolution, which was passed by 180 members, stated, "“The National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reposes its full confidence in the leadership of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, as the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

— PMLN (@pmln_org) April 27, 2023

Ready to go home if court orders so: PM

PM Shehbaz, after securing the trust vote in the assembly, thanked Allah Almighty and 180 members for reposing trust in him. 

Addressing the assembly floor, he said they [the PDM] did not accept the decision of three-member [SC} bench, but they accepted the verdict of four judges. "If the court orders me to go home, I'm always ready but I shall keep the parliament in high esteem," he added. 

He said ex-premier Zulfikar Ali Bhutto was assassintaed, and ex-PM for PML-N Nawaz Sharif and former chief executive from PPP Yusuf Raza Gillani were disqualified. "But we are asked to hold negotiations [with the PTI]," he added.

The PM said they were politicians and they neither had a gun nor a stick adding that they could only talk. "There is no harm in holding talks and we expect to sit with the PTI at a table today evening (Thursday)," he added.

He said Pakistan was prospering before 2018 elections and blamed the PTI government for economic crisis. “The entire world is aware how the RTS (Result Transmission System) was compromised in 2018 and election results were manipulated,” he added.

However when we challenged the results, former CJP Saqib Nisar stopped recounting of votes, he said. "Former PM vowed to review the results but it has not been reviewed till day," he added.

The PM went on to say that former PM Imran Khan dissolved two assemblies in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) to create hurdles when talks with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) were going on. “The incumbent government is importing Russian oil that will soon arrive in Pakistan,” he added.

Had he came to the government as a result of foreign conspiracy, his government would not have imported oil from Russia, he said.

Earlier, according to sources, the PM had consulted the parties in the ruling alliance at lunch after which he decided to take the vote. They said that when the PM informed them about his intention, the allies told him that they had “full confidence in you,” and he could take a vote of confidence from the house anytime. 

It may be noted that after rejection of money bill put before the National Assembly for release of Rs21 billion to conduct elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, political circles opined that it was a sign of mistrust in his leadership and he should obtain a vote of confidence. 

PM secured 160 votes: Fawad Chaudhry 

PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry claimed that PM Shehbaz had obtained 160 votes instead of 172.

Taking to Twitter, he wrote, “The PM had lost the trust vote. Twenty votes of the PTI MNAs cannot be counted in PM’s favour, therefore, the PM could only secure 160 votes. Today’s vote is the defeat of PM Shehbaz and the PDM.”

— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 27, 2023