NA speaker, PTI minister exchange harsh words over voting on no-trust motion: sources

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and a senior federal minister exchanged harsh words on Saturday in the Presidential Chamber at the Parliament House amid the crucial session of the National Assembly for voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The heated arguments occurred when the federal minister asked the NA speaker to refrain from taking his own line. The federal minister asked the speaker to follow the directions of PM Imran Khan.

“I am taking the line of the Constitution of Pakistan,” Asad Qaiser said, adding that he had joined the PTI for the protection of the Constitution.

On the other hand, despite the PTI government’s hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan, the historic session of the National Assembly to decide his fate began today at 10:30 am.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, shortly after the session began, adjourned the session till 12:30pm. However, the break was prolonged and the voting, per sources, will now take place after 8pm — post iftaar.

During the break, the Opposition held a consultative meeting in the Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif's chamber to discuss a counter-strategy for the government's alleged plan to prolong the session so that voting could not take place today.

But later, the government and the Opposition reached a consensus regarding maintaining order in the House and allowing the speeches to take place uninterrupted.

From the Opposition’s side, JUI-F leader Maulana Asad Mahmood assured the members of the treasury benches that they will not interrupt speeches delivered from the government’s side; however, he warned that if the MNAs from the treasury benches created a ruckus, the joint Opposition leaders will also react accordingly.

Meanwhile, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb claimed that the Opposition had not accepted any of the conditions put forward by the government, and reiterated that the voting on the no-confidence motion must take place today.

She further said that no conditions of the government will be entertained and that no-time frame has been finalised for the voting either.

Aurangzeb also reiterated that delay in the voting on the no-confidence motion was tantamount to a violation of the Supreme Court’s verdict and the Constitution, warning the speaker that the punishment for this is three years of imprisonment and five years of disqualification.