PM Shehbaz Sharif secures vote of confidence from NA

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday successfully obtained a vote of confidence from the National Assembly by securing 180 votes, ARY News reported.

Announcing the results, Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf said that 180 members of the house reposed “complete” confidence in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership.

The resolution, moved by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, stated: “The National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reposes its full confidence in the leadership of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, as the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.”

After securing the trust vote, the prime minister expressed gratitude to the lawmakers who voted for him. He also went up to the seat of Opposition Leader Raja Riaz of the PTI to greet him.

Addressing the NA, the prime minister termed the 2018 polls “fraud elections” and alleged that the polls were rigged. “Former chief justice Saqib Nisar ordered to stop the recounting of votes when we challenged the election results,” he said.

He went on to say that no investigation was conducted into the rigging allegations by then CJP. The prime minister further said the incumbent government was importing cheap Russian oil which will arrive soon in the country.

“If the coalition government had been formed as a result of a foreign-backed conspiracy, it would not have imported oil from Russia.”

Criticising the opposition PTI, PM Shehbaz Sharif reiterated that two assemblies were dissolved at the whims of Imran Khan to create difficulties for the incumbent government.

Referring to the SC judgement in the Punjab polls, Shehbaz Sharif said “We don’t accept the decision of a three-member bench. We accept the decision of a majority of four judges.”