Mass resignations Imran’s trump card?

ISLAMABAD: As the National Assembly is scheduled to meet on Sunday (today) to vote on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, the government has formulated a different strategy to deal with the opposition focusing on use of a trump card.

Prime Minister Imran Khan had already announced that he had a trump card that could be used to thwart the opposition’s plan and discussions were going on what would be his move.

According to sources, mass resignations of the PTI from the National Assembly could be one of the options.

The sources said one senior aide to the prime minister had suggested that all PTI members resign to create a political crisis.

The sources said the prime minister was seriously considering this option.

But if this option was availed, the speaker had to follow the rules as mass resignations could not be accepted immediately.

“It’s a long process but the speaker has the power either to call members individually or in a group to ascertain whether they resign without pressure,” parliamentary sources said.

The clause four of Article 95 reads as “If the resolution referred to in clause (1) is passed by a majority of the total membership of the National Assembly, the prime minister shall cease to hold office.”

While Rule 38 of the Rules of the Procedure and Business of the National Assembly, 2007 states that “After the prime minister is elected or resolution of for vote of confidence under Rule 36 is passed or rejected or case may or a resolution of no-confidence under Rule 37 is passed, the speaker will forthwith intimate the result in writing to the president and the secretary shall cause a notification to be published in the official gazette.”