Advice PM to seek trust vote: Rashid asks Alvi

Former Interior minister and Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid has requested President Dr Arif Alvi to advise Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to seek a trust vote from the parliament claiming that the premier has lost his majority in the house.

In a letter sent to the president through advocate Azhar Siddique, Rashid stated Shehbaz and his cabinet have lost the confidence of the house by not passing supplementary grant and providing requisite funds, security and support to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) in holding free and fair general elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

“The concerned quarters expressly made a commitment before the Supreme Court of Pakistan to sort out the artificially created issue of financial dearth and to provide the requisite funds to the ECP for timely general elections for both K-P and Punjab assemblies.

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“Surprisingly, the federal government has deliberately failed to honor its commitment.

“It is clear that a majority has to be retained in the parliament, whereas, in the matter at hand, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and his cabinet have miserably lost confidence as well as majority in the house as they have been unable to pass a supplementary budget," it claimed.

The letter said the procedure for presenting a money bill has been provided in Article 73 of the Constitution. It said Article 74 states that the federal government’s consent is required for financial measures and Article 84 ibid states the legislative procedure for supplementary and excess grants.

“However, since the Prime Minister of Pakistan has deliberately failed to provide the requisite funds by passing a supplementary budget, hence, under Article 91(7) of the Constitution, the President  is hereby advised to summon the National Assembly Session and obtain a vote of confidence,” it said.