PDM moves no-trust motion against Elahi in Punjab assembly

A notice was also moved for the removal of Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhary Sibtain Khan.

The notice was submitted in the Punjab Assembly Secretariat by a joint delegation of the opposition PPP and PML-N parliamentary members.

Punjab Assembly Secretary Inayat Hussain Lak formally received the no-trust notice.

The notice was moved under Article 136 of the Constitution read with Rule 23 of the Rules of Procedure Provincial Assembly of Punjab (PAP) 1997.

It stated that members of PPP and the PML-N of the provincial assembly expressed their lack of confidence in Pervaiz Elahi’s ability to lead the house as per the constitution.

It added that Elahi had massacred democratic traditions and thus he had lost the confidence of majority of members of the house.

They thus sought permission from the assembly speaker to move the vote of no-confidence.

 

 

Article 136

Vote of no-confidence against Chief Minister:
(1) A resolution for a vote of no-confidence moved by not less than twenty per centum of the total membership of the Provincial Assembly may be passed against the Chief Minister by the Provincial Assembly.
(2) A resolution referred to in clause (1) shall not be voted upon before the expiration of three days, or later than seven days, from the day on which such resolution is moved in the Provincial Assembly.
(3) If the resolution referred to in clause (1) is passed by a majority of the total membership of the Provincial Assembly, the Chief Minister shall cease to hold office.

Removal of Assembly Speaker

Along with the notice to remove the chief minister, a notice was also submitted seeking to remove the provincial assembly speaker.

The notice was submitted under Article 53 read with Article 127 of the Constitution read with rule 12 of the Rules of Procedure of PAP 1997.

 

 

Article 53

Vote of no confidence against Speaker and Deputy Speaker of National Assembly:
(1) After a general election, the National Assembly shall, at its first meeting and to the exclusion of any other business, elect from amongst its members a Speaker and a Deputy Speaker and, so often as the office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker becomes vacant, the Assembly shall elect another member as Speaker or, as the case may be, Deputy Speaker.
(2) Before entering upon office, a member elected as Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall make before the National Assembly oath in the form set out in the Third Schedule.
(3) When the office of Speaker is vacant, or the Speaker is absent or is unable to perform his functions due to any cause, the Deputy Speaker shall act as Speaker, and if, at that time, the Deputy Speaker is also absent or is unable to act as Speaker due to any cause, such member as may be determined by the rules of procedure of the Assembly shall preside at the meeting of the Assembly.
(4) The Speaker or the Deputy Speaker shall not preside at a meeting of the Assembly when a resolution for his removal from office is being considered.
(5) The Speaker may, by writing under his hand addressed to the President, resign his office.
(6) The Deputy Speaker may, by writing under his hand addressed to the Speaker, resign his office.
(7) The office of Speaker or Deputy Speaker shall become vacant if:
(a) he resigns his office;
(b) he ceases to be a member of the Assembly;
(c) he is removed from office by a resolution of the Assembly, of which not less than seven days’ notice has been given and which is passed by the votes of the majority of the total membership of the Assembly.
(8) When the National Assembly is dissolved the Speaker shall continue in his office till the person elected to fill the office by the next Assembly enters upon his office.

Party position

The current party position shows how the provincial assembly is composed and the seats of different parties.

The PTI together with the PML-Q and an independent overwhelmingly outnumber the combined opposition.

Asif Zardari chairs meeting of PPP MPs

Zardari directed the party’s provincial legislators and asked PML-N MPAs to submit a no-confidence motion against political rival Elahi in a last ditch effort to save the assembly from dissolution as announced by the PTI chief Imran Khan.

Earlier, [PMLQ Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain said that PDM have many options to save Punjab Assembly][3] but they might use VONM or seek confidence vote from the Elahi.

PPP Co-chairman Zardari chaired a meeting of his party MPs of Punjab Assembly at Bilawal House Lahore and discussed political outlook of the province amid the fluid situation that could go either way; in favor of PTI or against PDM.

In the meeting PPP Punjab President Syed Hasan Murtaza, Makhdoom Usman Mehmood, Mumtaz Chang, Ghazanfar Ali Khan, Shazia Abid, and other MPS from Punjab participated.

This is a developing story and will be updated accordingly.