New Delhi: The parliament of Pakistan is set to debate on a no-confidence motion with Imran Khan being the Prime Minister. This might see a complete table turn in politics with the former Pakistan cricketer being removed from the chair.
Recently, the 69-year-old Prime Minister has been facing severe criticism for his performance including his management of an economy that yielded high inflation and rising deficits. Besides, on Wednesday, he lost the majority in the parliament when the main ally quit his coalition. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) deserted Khan’s coalition and joined hands with the opposition, seeking to remove him.
Reportedly, a vote of a no-confidence motion is expected to be held on Monday.
How does a no-confidence motion work?
According to the constitution, a Prime Minister is elected by the majority of votes from the lower house, the National Assembly, which is constituted of 342 members.
Now, a candidate needs a majority of votes from the legislators which is 172 or more to become the Prime Minister. Besides, the same number of votes is needed to pass a no-confidence motion against him and his cabinet.
Thus, Imran Khan can only survive a no-confidence motion if he gets fewer votes than the Opposition, but only if the latter does not get the required 172 votes.
What happens after the vote?
If Khan loses, the parliament will continue to function until its five years tenure completes in August 2023, after which the general election is due within 60 days.
However, the new prime minister can immediately call for a general election without waiting till 2023.
What is the timeline for the vote?
The Opposition filed the no-confidence motion in early March and it was presented before the National Assembly on Monday.
The speaker of the house has to carry out the vote no earlier than three days and no later than seven days after the motion is brought up in the house.
In this case, the earliest the vote can pass is not Thursday and the latest by Monday.
Is the vote close?
Yes, Khan is experiencing a tight vote with the loss of coalition partners.
What is Khan’s strategy?
Khan ordered all the members of his party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) to not attend the assembly on the day of the vote to lessen the chance of dissidents secretly supporting the motion to remove him.
Besides, the absentees would not affect Khan’s cause he does not needs to win, rather, he just needs to ensure the Opposition does not secure the 172 votes they need.
Besides, Khan also filed a petition in the courts seeking lifetime electoral bans against those who broke ranks with his cause, in a bid to dissuade potential dissidents.
