NA Speaker says will quit if trust vote numbers proven wrong

Ag APP

ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser on Tuesday rejected opposition claims that fewer than 178 lawmakers voted for the Prime Minister in the confidence session last weekend, vowing if even a single vote is proven wrong, he will resign from his position.

“I challenge [the opposition to find impropriety] — if [even] one vote is proven wrong — I will resign from my seat,” Qaiser said at the inauguration ceremony of a newly constructed media centre here.

His remarks come days after opposition lawmaker Mohsin Dawar alleged that fewer than 178 MNAs were present in the Assembly, following which PPP’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday called for an investigation into the claim.

In his talk, Qaiser urged political parties to work for strengthening democracy and promote the culture of mutual respect. “We have to promote democratic norms and should not lose the moral ground,” he added.

The Speaker also said he has formed a committee comprising members from both the treasury and opposition benches to investigate the “unpleasant incidents” that took place both inside and outside Parliament House.

He was referring to the clashes that took place between members of the ruling party and the leadership of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.