NA speaker eyes rejection of no-trust motion through 'ruling'

ISLAMABAD: Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser has discussed an option with Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjrani to reject no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan through speaker’s ruling, ARY NEWS reported.    

According to sources having knowledge of discussion between the two, the speaker consulted chairman Senate to foil the no-trust motion through his ruling.

“Asad Qaiser wanted to use a previous ruling of Chairman Senate on 23 July 2019 for the purpose in which Sadiq Sanjrani ruled out a requisition pertaining to the removal of chairman and deputy chairman Senate,” they said.

The speaker has sought suggestions on rejecting the no-trust move based on his ruling however, the sources said that Sadiq Sanjrani has not issued any advice in this regard citing separate rules for Senate and National Assembly.

The sources said that no speaker has ruled on the matter previously and even the National Assembly secretariat is not on the same page with Asad Qaiser over rejecting the motion through this process, they said.

Speaker consults with NA secretariat over rejecting dissident MNAs’ votes 

Meanwhile, the speaker has also consulted with the National Assembly secretariat and sought answers to three questions, the sources said.

They said that the speaker asked if he could bar dissident lawmakers from voting to which the legal section of the secretariat replied that no member could be barred from voting and any action will be initiated after the dissident act is performed.

Read More: OPP TO SUBMIT NO-TRUST MOVE AGAINST NATIONAL ASSEMBLY SPEAKER

“The article 63 (1) (a) of the Constitution is clear in this regard,” they said.

To another question that what could happen if the party head or chief whip send names of suspicious lawmakers, to this the secretariat said that the speaker’s role would begin after declaration from the party chief.

To the third question, if any ruling could be given on dissent lawmakers ahead of the vote, the secretariat said that ruling is the speaker’s prerogative, however, the constitution and laws are clear on the matter.