no-confidence motion - Central News Hub

Imran fights for survival as 50 ministers go missing

More than 50 of the federal and provincial ministers have not been seen in public since the opposition began stacking up perils against Prime Minister Imran Khan, reports Asian Lite News

As the crucial no-confidence motion inches closer and uncertainty continues to shroud political alliances, at least 50 ministers belonging to the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) have gone ‘missing from the political front, Express Tribune reported.

More than 50 of the federal and provincial ministers have not been seen in public since the opposition began stacking up perils against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Sources shared that out of these ministers, 25 happen to be federal and provincial advisers and special assistants, while four of them are ministers of state, four advisers and 19 special assistants.

The odd development comes as the deafening silence of many PTI ministers is feeding the speculation that by holding their tongues – much like the allies – the ministers might be weighing other options as they await the right time, The Express Tribune reported.

However, at the federal level, the embattled Prime Minister continues to enjoy vigorous support.

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Energy Minister Hammad Azhar, Minister of Defence Pervez Khattak and Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed are among the most vocal stalwarts who continue to propagate the government’s narrative, putting themselves at the forefront in Khan’s defence.

However, a large number of federal and provincial ministers and cabinet members remain conspicuous for their absence in times of trouble.

ALSO READ: Bajwa gives up on Imran

Pak democracy under siege ahead of no-confidence motion

On March 10, police in the capital, Islamabad, stormed the parliamentarians’ apartments and detained two opposition MPs along with several other opposition activists….reports Asian Lite News

Pakistan’s democratic institutions are facing a new threat, Human Rights Watch has said.

On march 8, opposition political parties sought a no-confidence motion in parliament to remove Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan. Government officials responded by threatening violence and briefly detaining two members of parliament (MPs). The situation risks spiraling into a dangerous confrontation.

Under Pakistan’s constitution, the Prime Minister ceases to hold office if the majority of the members of the National Assembly vote for a motion of no confidence. The government has announced that this vote will be held on March 28.

On March 10, police in the capital, Islamabad, stormed the parliamentarians’ apartments and detained two opposition MPs along with several other opposition activists. The police alleged that volunteers from the opposition Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam F (JUI-F) had entered the apartments without permission. All were released within hours.

Four days later, Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan threatened to “blow up the opposition in a suicide attack”. Shahbaz Gill, a special assistant to the Prime Minister, said that photographs of “traitors” – meaning any members of Prime Minister Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party who votes against Khan – would be displayed in cities so people could identify them.

Pak Police raid in Parliament lodges

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry suggested that ‘one million’ supporters would come to Islamabad on voting day and warned that anyone who wishes to vote against Khan would “have to pass through these people on their way in and out of the Parliament building.”

In response, the opposition Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) called upon its own supporters to also gather in Islamabad, setting the stage for a potentially violent confrontation.

HRW said the government has a responsibility to uphold the constitution and allow for voting without threats or violence on the no-confidence motion.

Both the government and opposition should send a strong message to their supporters not to subvert the democratic process or sway the vote through intimidation or other criminal acts. Parliamentary voting is a core democratic principle and attempts to obstruct it risk further undermining an institution vital to representative government and the rule of law, it added.

ALSO READ: Pakistan takes up India’s missile misfire with UN Chief