PM Imran Khan addresses the nation on Senate elections

Prime Minister Imran Khan will address the nation today and the government will requisition a session of the National Assembly on Saturday for the prime minister to seek a vote of confidence from the lawmakers.

“The [National Assembly’s] session has been called for Saturday afternoon,” said Information Minister Shibli Faraz, speaking toa private source. “The prime minister will address the nation today as well and another decision has been taken by him — following consultations with senior party leaders and government allies — that Sadiq Sanjrani will be our candidate for the Senate chairman post again, keeping in mind his performance over the past two to three years,” he said.

In response to a question, Faraz said that the ruling party is currently focused on the aftermath of the Senate elections and legal action can be taken against PTI parliamentarians who voted other than the party’s candidates — pending a formal inquiry into the matter.

The PTI leader said that the prime minister will be seeking a vote of confidence from the parliament in line with universally accepted democratic principles.

In response to a question, Faraz said that PM Imran Khan’s “personal decision” to seek a vote of confidence from the parliament following Gilani’s victory was being hailed by people across the country, adding that it was an unprecedented step in the country’s history.

Faraz said that the PTI had won its share of the seats in the upper house, adding that the ruling party had only lost one seat in the Senate. When asked why the prime minister had chosen to seek a vote of confidence from lawmakers if one seat didn’t matter, the minister said it was a reflection of the premier’s courage.

When asked whether he thinks the PTI’s lawmakers will vote for the prime minister when the vote of confidence takes place, Shibli confirmed. He added that PM Imran Khan does politics of principles while the Opposition was doing otherwise.

Gillani vs Shaikh: PDM scores major victory over PTI in key Senate battle

Shortly after it was announced that Gilani had defeated Shaikh in the election, the former prime minister held a press conference to thank PPP chief Bilawal Bhutto Zardari as well as the PDM leadership, including PML-N’s Nawaz Sharif, Shahbaz Sharif, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Akhtar Mengal, Maryam Nawaz, and ANP leadership, among others.

Live Stream: Prime Minister of Pakistan @ImranKhanPTI‘s Address to the Nation (04.03.21)#PrimeMinisterImranKhan #Pakistan 🇵🇰

وزیراعظم پاکستان عمران خان قوم سے خطاب https://t.co/Je6NhCCITz

— Prime Minister’s Office, Pakistan (@PakPMO) March 4, 2021

“This is the victory of democracy,” he had said. “The Islamabad seat was the most important seat in the Senate elections and everyone was eyeing it. [Through my win], the PDM has been victorious.”

Adding to Gillani’s point, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari had said that the PDM has won through the votes of MNAs, which is also a win for Pakistan.

He went on to say that PM Imran Khan should “resign from his post,” adding that he should adopt sportsmanship and honourably accept his defeat.

“The PDM will decide a future course of action after mutual consultation with all members.”