Opp cries foul as NA speaker adjourns no-trust session

ISLAMABAD: The joint opposition on Friday strongly criticised the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser for adjourning the crucial NA session that had the no-trust motion on its agenda, ARY News reported.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Friday adjourned until March 28 the crucial session of the lower house of Parliament that was summoned on the opposition’s requisition to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-trust motion.

The session was put off until 4 pm on Monday after Fateha was offered for late MNA Khayal Zaman.

Talking to media outside the parliament house, Opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said the NA speaker once again violated the Constitution by adjourning crucial NA session.

“Asad Qaiser has come across as partisan and heavily tilted in favour of [the] PTI,” he said, adding that the speaker was bound to summon lower house session within 14 days after requisition of the session.

“Asad Qaiser violated the Constitution by exceeding the 14-day limit of convening a National Assembly session after a requisition of the session was filed by the opposition,” he added.

PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif said that Speaker Asad Qaiser did not allow him to speak during today’s proceedings and adjourned the session without listening to opposition benches.

“I repeatedly urged NA Speaker Asad Qaiser to open my mic and let me speak but he adjourned the session after offering fateha,” said Shehbaz Sharif.

Sharif further warned that joint opposition will use legal steps if Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser tried to disrupt NA proceedings on Monday through any illegal means.

Talking to the media, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari accused Prime Minister Imran Khan of running away from no-confidence motion by using “unconstitutional” means.

He once again reiterated that no-trust move against prime minister will succeed.

The no-trust resolution filed by the joint opposition against Prime Minister Imran Khan was on the 15-point agenda for today’s session.

Under the constitution, the NA speaker was bound to convene the assembly session within 14 days after submission of the requisition notice to the National Assembly Secretariat by the joint opposition on March 8. However, it was delayed due to the Oraganisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) moot.