In a pickle: PPP tables no-confidence motion against K-P Assembly speaker

PTI stands vulnerable after accusing 18 of its lawmakers of 'horse-trading' and losing seven Jamaat-e-Isalmi MPAs

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) tabled on Friday a no-confidence motion against Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser.

The resolution was moved by PPP lawmakers Fakhr Azam Wazir and Ziaullah Afridi under the sub-clause (C) of Article 53 read with Article 127 of the Constitution and sub-rule 1 of the Rule 11 of the rules and procedures of the K-P Assembly.

Speaking to reporters outside the assembly, Wazir claimed the speaker did not have support of enough MPAs to hold his port any longer hence he should take another vote of confidence from the house.



Summoning a session of the provincial assembly on May 14, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has fixed the resolution on top of the agenda.

If the resolution is backed by one-third of the assembly members, a secret ballot will be held to re-elect the speaker. The PPP lawmakers require simple-majority to dethrone Qaiser.

Since the K-P assembly currently has three vacant seats, the simple majority number rests at 62 out of 124 MPAs.



The ruling PTI is in a fragile position in the K-P assembly ever since the party’s chairman had accused around 18 lawmakers of indulging in horse-trading during March’s Senate elections.

The party had subsequently issued show-cause notices to the lawmakers and warned them of expulsion.

Moreover, the PTI's parliamentary ally Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) 'amicably' parted ways with the ruling party on Thursday. Losing the seven members of the JI has further shaken the ground the provincial government is standing on.