Daily Times

The National Assembly is scheduled to hold voting on the no-confidence resolution moved against Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday (today).

As per the agenda issued by the National Assembly Secretariat, the six-point agenda includes the question hour, two calling attention notices, matters under Rule 18 and voting on the no-confidence resolution moved by Leader of the Opposition Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif on March 28.

In the National Assembly’s (NA) agenda issued Friday, voting on the no-confidence motion is at the fourth position in the six-point agenda.

The top court restored the NA a day earlier after it declared the government’s decision to dissolve the assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling against the Constitution. The top court has ordered NA Speaker Asad Qasier to summon the session on Saturday (April 9) no later than 10:30am to allow the vote on the no-confidence motion against the premier. The Supreme Court also “declared that the assembly was in existence at all times, and continues to remain and be so”. The apex court also stated that the speaker cannot prorogue the assembly and bring the session to an end if the no-trust motion fails or after a new prime minister is elected if a no-confidence motion is passed.

The court ruled that no member will be barred from casting their vote. It also stated that if the no-trust motion fails then the government will continue to carry out its affairs. “…if the no-confidence motion against the prime minister succeeds, then the assembly will appoint the new prime minister,” the top court’s order said.

The text of the resolution is as follows: “Through this Resolution under clause (1) of Article 95 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, this House resolves that it has no-confidence in the Prime Minister, Imran Khan, and consequently he should cease to hold office under clause (4) ibid.”

The Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007 determine the voting process on no-confidence resolution against prime minister and sum up whole process in the `Second Schedule’ for voting on the motion.

The Rules state that resolution for vote of no-confidence against the PM under Rule 37 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in National Assembly 2007 shall be decided under the provisions of the Second Schedule.The Second Schedule states the Speaker shall direct that the bells be rung for five minutes before commencement of voting to enable members, not present in the Chamber, to be present. Immediately after the bells stop ringing, all the entrances to the Lobby shall be locked and the Assembly staff posted at each entrance shall not allow any entry or exit through those entrances until the voting, is concluded.

The Speaker shall then read out the resolution before the Assembly and ask the members who wish to vote in favour of the resolution to pass in single file, through the entrance where tellers, shall be posted to record the votes. On reaching the desk of the tellers, each member shall, in turn, call out the division number allotted to him under the rules. The tellers shall then mark off his number on the division list simultaneously, calling out the name of the member. In order to ensure that his vote has been properly recorded, the member shall not move off until he has clearly heard the teller, calling out his name. After a member has recorded his vote, he shall not return to the Chamber until bells are rung.

When the Speaker finds that all the members who wished to vote have recorded their votes, he shall announce that the voting has concluded. Thereupon, the Secretary shall cause the division list to be collected, count the recorded votes and present the result of the count to the Speaker. The Speaker shall then direct that the bells be rung for two minutes to enable the members to return to the Chamber. After the bells stop ringing, the Speaker shall announce the result to the Assembly.