Daily Times

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser Sunday summoned the assembly session on March 25 and categorically denied holding the session on March 21, as “no suitable building is available” till March 24 due to the scheduled two-day OIC meeting in Islamabad from March 22. In a notification, available with Daily Times, the speaker said “Having no adequate options available whatsoever for holding the session of NA before March 24. Therefore in exercise of powers, conferred upon me (Speaker) under clause 3 of Article 54 of Constitution of the country a read with Article 54 of the Constitution, I hereby summon the session of NA on the first available date that is Friday 25 March.”

The speaker said a requisition was received on March 2 for summoning the assembly session under provided powers of the Constitution while on January 21 a motion was adopted by the assembly to allow the exclusive use of chamber for 48th session of the OIC Council of Foreign Ministers on aforementioned dates.

“To enable the OIC for meeting, renovation work of the chamber of the NA and its lobbies had commenced on request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs by the end of February 22 which was undertaken by Capital Development Authority (CDA),” he explained.

Moreover, the speaker recalled, after receipt of requisition on March 8, the NA Secretariat requested the Senate Secretariat to provide a chamber of the Senate for holding of the NA session but the Senate Secretariat informed that the chamber was also not available being under renovation.

“Thereafter the chairman CDA and Deputy Commissioner (DC) were also approached to arrange and provide some suitable building for holding the NA session outside the parliament. However, they have informed in writing that no suitable place is available at present in Islamabad for holding the NA session.”

In a development, which raised political temperatures in the country, the joint opposition had submitted a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government on March 8.

According to Article 54 of the Constitution, the NA speaker will have a maximum of 14 days to summon the following the requisition (call of NA session). A few days back, the NA Secretariat also had advised Speaker Asad Qaiser to call the lower house session as per rules before March 22 after declaring that the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan had been filed as per rules.

As per rules, summoning a session was a constitutional requirement that cannot be disregarded. After the session has been called, the NA secretary will circulate the notice to the members and the resolution of vote of no-confidence will be moved on the next working day. From the day the resolution is moved, it “shall not be voted upon before the expiry of three days, or later than seven days,” according to the rules of procedure.

On the other hand, a very interesting move occurred on Saturday from the opposition. Hours after their threat to take the extreme step of disrupting meeting of the OIC in case the NA Speaker Asad Qaiser did not put the no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan on the day’s agenda by Monday (today), they toned down the stance by stressing that Pakistan’s political turmoil will not be allowed to affect the event in any way.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Information Secretary Marriyum Aurangzeb had immediately released a statement in which it was said that “a conducive atmosphere in accordance with the traditional spirit of hospitality, respect and zeal would be ensured”.

Similarly, Zulfikar Ali Bader, spokesperson for the PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, also issued a clarification, declaring that the PPP chairman was not against the OIC meeting, “but against the government’s escape from the no-confidence motion”.

“If the NA speaker delays the no-confidence motion under the guise of the OIC meeting, then there will be a reaction,” he said.

Bader said PM Imran Khan wanted to postpone the no-confidence motion till April under the garb of the OIC conference but, he claimed, we will not allow Imran Khan to do so.