KARACHI: The no-confidence motions moved by opposition in the past have failed to remove sitting prime ministers, analysts at Arif Habib Limited said on Wednesday.
“No Prime Minister in the history of Pakistan has been removed via a no-confidence motion,” they said, adding these have been requisitioned twice before; the first time against Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 1989 and the second time against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz in 2006, whereby both managed to overthrow the motion with more votes in favour of retaining the premiership.
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As per Article 54 of the Constitution of Pakistan, the opposition has requisitioned the National Assembly for a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister, dated March 8th, 2020. This was signed by one fourth of the members of the house, which gives the speaker a maximum of 14 days to summon a session.
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Once the session is called and a no-confidence resolution is circulated, a motion will be moved the next day. Voting will then commence after the expiry of three days or before seven days, from the day the motion is moved. Therefore, a session has to be be called by March 22nd, 2022 whereas voting must take place between March 26th and March 30th, 2022.
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Pertinently, voting against the Prime Minister is conducted via an open ballot. The motion is considered successful, that is no confidence of the house in the Prime Minister, if the voting tilts towards a simple majority i.e. 172 of the total 342 members vote in favour of removing the Premier.
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Once the decision comes through and the result against the Prime Minister is submitted by the speaker to the President in writing, he shall cease to hold power, effective immediately, while the cabinet of the PM is also dissolved instantaneously. Moreover, the National Assembly is then required to immediately suggest and a vote upon a new PM.
