Imran Khan employing tactics to stall no-trust vote as Pak heading towards political instability
Mar 21, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], March 22 : Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is employing every tactic to retain his position as the opposition alliance is all set to move a no-confidence motion against his government on Friday (March 25) that was elected in August 2018.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) government even tweaked constitutional laws as per its convenience to muster a strength of 172 lawmakers in National Assembly, reported local media.
With National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser summoning the crucial session of the National Assembly on March 25, which is three days longer than the Constitution has stipulated once the required number of parliamentarians have requisitioned a session, the political situation in Pakistan could be further complicated, reported the Dawn newspaper.
According to the legal experts, while the speaker may attempt to delay the process and push the vote forward, the vote will need to take place and only the numbers game would matter.
The public rallies planned by the Imran Khan government and the opposition on March 27 have added an explosive element to the volatile situation, with a danger of violence breaking out, according to the media outlet.
Further, if the police are unable to control the situation, the only option is handing over security responsibility to the armed forces, which was actually being referred by Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid in his speeches.
Notably, the situation is being dragged towards such an outcome by the government itself as a straightforward constitutional procedure is being weaponised by the use of mobs and threats, reported the Pakistani publication.
Further, a new narrative is being fueled that focuses on accusations of horse-trading as a means to undermine a democratic process. However, the narrative being stitched together may further accentuate the source of the conflict and trigger greater political instability.
