Opposition parties to boycott Saturday’s session of National Assembly: Fazl

Opposition parties will not attend Saturday’s National Assembly session, Pakistan Democratic Movement Maulana Fazlur Rehman announced.

Prime Minister will take the vote of confidence from parliament on Saturday. He took the decision after PTI’s Hafeez Shaikh lost the Senate’s Islamabad seat to PDM’s Yousuf Raza Gillani on March 3. The premier needs at least 172 votes to remain in the office.

The PDM is an alliance of 11 opposition parties which was formed in September 2020 to overthrow the PTI government.

Fazl said Saturday’s session would have no value without the participation of opposition lawmakers.

On the other hand, the agenda of the session has been issued. Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi will table the resolution for the vote of confidence.

Prime Minister Imran Khan has already warned that PTI lawmakers abstaining from voting in Saturday’s session will be disqualified.

“You are required to take part in the voting on resolution for vote of confidence in the prime minister as per direction of the party,” he said in a letter to PTI MNAs.

In a parliamentary party meeting on Friday, PM Khan also said he would expel the party members who wouldn’t attend the session.