PPP senator calls upon army chief to 'play his role' to defuse crisis

Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar also urges Gen Qamar to assure his support for the institutions

As the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly faces a stalemate, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Senator Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar has called upon Chief of the Army Staf (COAS) General Qamar Javed Bajwa to "play his role to defuse the crisis".

"If the NA speaker and the government don't act on the clear directives of the Supreme Court, then General Bajwa should play his role in this situation of crisis," Khokhar said in a Twitter post on Saturday.

The senator, in the same breath, said, "Yes! He should issue a statement that he stands with the decision of the Constitution, democracy and the Supreme Court."

اگر آج اسپیکر اور حکومت سپریم کورٹ کے واضح حکم پر عمل نہیں کرتے تو پھر اس بحرانی کیفیت میں جنرل باجوہ کو اپنا رول پلے کرنا چاہئے۔

جی ہاں! انھیں بھی ایک بیان جاری کرنا چاہئے کہ وہ ایک پروفیشنل فوجی کی طرح آئین، جمہوریت اور سپریم کورٹ کے فیصلہ کے ساتھ کھڑے ہیں۔

— Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar (@Mustafa_PPP) April 9, 2022

It may be mentioned that the previous ‘sleight of hand’ manoeuvring to throw the no-confidence motion by declaring the opposition as “traitors” landed the premier and his party in hot waters as the country’s top court not only declared it unconstitutional but also ruled that it was the government that had blatantly violated the Constitution.

Currently, the joint opposition parties have more lawmakers on their side than the government, especially, after the government allies parted ways with the government. In addition, the opposition parties enjoy the support of roughly two-dozen PTI dissidents.

Also read: NA session adjourned for fourth time as govt drags feet on no-trust vote

Soon after NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had prorogued the session and the treasury members left the assembly hall, the opposition parties had held a symbolic session of the assembly with a total of 197 members sitting on the opposition benches.

Out of the 342-member house, a party or different parties together can form the government if it has the support of 172 or more members on its side. The premier would continue if the opposition fails to produce 172 or more lawmakers in the assembly for any reason.

If PM Imran loses the vote, parliament would continue to function and the lawmakers in the National Assembly will elect a new prime minister, after which a general election is due within 60 days. However, the new premier can go for early elections before August 2023.