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Pakistan's opposition leaders have threatened to stage a "sit-in" in the lower house and disrupt the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit, if the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan is not presented in the National Assembly on Monday, the deadline for tabling the resolution.
If the opposition stages a sit-in then an Organisation of Islamic Cooperation summit that is scheduled to take place there on the same day will be hampered. According to the rules, the resolution, "shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days." Therefore, the speaker must call the lower house in session by March 22, while voting on the no-confidence motion must take place between three and seven days after the session is summoned. However, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said today that he had been receiving reports of the NA speaker intending to go against the Constitution, law and rules of the house regarding the no-trust move, reported Dawn. "But if the speaker's non-democratic thinking [comes in the way] ... and he doesn't move the no-confidence motion by Monday, then I will propose within in my party and to other opposition parties as well not to leave the hall," he warned. "Then we will see how you hold your OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation) conference", which is scheduled to be held in the NA on March 21 and March 22. Bilawal continued, "If they threaten us by not following the law, the Constitution and rules of the NA, then it is my stance that we will continue sitting on that floor until we are given our right." He added, "We also want the OIC [summit] to take place. The entire country wants it to take place. But in order for it to happen in a proper manner without any problems, the only way is that the speaker plays his due role." "He should not become a member of the PTI ... and think about the country, the democracy and the OIC," Bilawal said. "If he starts the no-confidence proceedings on Monday, there would be no issues in the way of the OIC and we, too, would not have any objections as the no-trust clock would be running in accordance with the law and Constitution," reported the newspaper. Pakistan is going through political turmoil ahead of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan after dozen of its party members parted ways with the ruling party. (ANI)
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