PM’s decision on trust vote sets new democratic tradition: Shibli

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Shibli Faraz Thursday said Prime Minister Imran Khan had set a new democratic tradition by deciding to take a fresh vote of confidence from the National Assembly on March 6.

Imran Khan took the decision on moral grounds and not under any pressure, which had worried the opposition leaders, as they did not believe in democratic norms, he said talking to Geo News channel.

Shibli said Imran Khan had established the new democratic tradition in the country on ethical grounds and such examples could be found only in civilised countries where the roots of democracy were strong.

He said it had now been decided that only democratic values would prevail in the country as it could not be run by the politics of bullying, rigging, and loot and plunder.

The minister said after the Senate elections, the PTI emerged as the single largest party in the House, but too much importance was being given to the result of the federal capital’s seat. The PTI candidate for the women reserved seat got 176 votes which proved that the party had majority in the Senate, he added.

Shibli Faraz said the National Assembly session has been convened for Saturday, in which the PM would seek the trust vote afresh. The decision to get fresh trust vote was an ethical choice of the PM, which had baffled the opposition, he added.

The minister said the prime minister had nominated the incumbent Sadiq Sanjarani for the post of Senate chairman after consultation with the coalition parties. The decision at the same time was taken in view of his performance during the last three years as the custodian of the Upper House of the Parliament, he added.

Replying to a question, Shibli Faraz said the PTI managed to get seats in the Senate in proportion with its representation in the assemblies of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh. It was the only party in the country, which wanted to bring the corrupt under accountability, and in that regard its stance was the same which it maintained before coming to power.

He said in the 2018 elections, the people of Pakistan had given a clear mandate to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) by rejecting all the parties involved in corruption, loot and plunder.