PM Imran stopped NA speaker from voting on no-trust motion: sources

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Imran Khan and federal ministers have stopped the National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser from conducting the voting on the no-trust motion during the ongoing extraordinary session, citing sources, ARY News reported on Saturday.

A high-level session was held at the NA Secretariat today to hold consultations over the voting on the no-trust motion against PM Imran Khan. The key session was chaired by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser and attended by the secretary, additional secretary and other senior officers.

Sources told ARY News that the secretary and additional secretary have advised the NA speaker to conduct the voting on the no-trust motion today. They added that the NA Secretariat and the speaker have no option other than implementing the Supreme Court (SC) orders for the no-trust vote.

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During their conversation with Qaiser, they said that non-compliance with the SC directives will result in the imposition of Article 6 on all officials of the NA Secretariat.

It was learnt that the NA speaker has earlier decided to conduct a no-trust vote at 8:00 pm after Iftar timing and issued directives to the Secretariat staff to get prepared.

Sources revealed that Asad Umar and other ministers have stopped them from conducting the voting, whereas, PM Imran Khan has also directed Asad Qaiser not to conduct the voting on the no-trust motion.

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“After being pressurised by the government personalities, the speaker was reluctant to conduct the voting once again,” sources added. It emerged that the NA Secretariat officers got troubled with the confusion being created over the no-trust vote.

It may be noted here that the NA session was adjourned four times today.

The crucial National Assembly session to vote on the no-trust motion against PM Khan in line with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan has been adjourned again soon after the Iftar break.