PDM to boycott NA session for PM Imran's vote of confidence

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has decided to boycott the National Assembly session during which Prime Minister Imran Khan would take a vote of confidence from the Parliament, ARY NEWS reported quoting Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

According to sources having knowledge of the consultation which transpired into the final decision, the suggestion to boycott the National Assembly proceedings came from Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief and head of the PDM, Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

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“Fazlur Rehman held a consultation over the matter with Asif Ali Zardari and later they also took PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif into the confidence over the matter,” they said adding that both the leaders of the PML-N and PPP supported the suggestion from Fazlur Rehman.

Later speaking to the media to announce the decision, Fazlur Rehman said that the lawmakers from the opposition alliance would not participate in the National Assembly session. “The session will lose its importance in the absence of the opposition,” he said. “Continue your government and hold assembly sessions with the fake mandate,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention here that Prime Minister Imran Khan will seek a vote of confidence afresh from the National Assembly on Saturday.

Prime Minister Khan decided to take a vote of confidence from the lower house of Parliament after the government coalition-backed candidate Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh lost a Senate seat from Islamabad to a joint candidate of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Mr Shaikh suffered defeat at the hands of Gilani in a major upset in yesterday’s Senate polls as the latter secured 169 votes as against 164 bagged by the former. The rejected votes played a key role in the opposition candidate’s win as these exceeded the margin of victory.

PM Imran his address to the nation a day before announced that he will take a vote of confidence from Parliament on Saturday, adding that he will sit in opposition if failed to get a vote of confidence from the lower house.