No-trust motion: MPs can’t be stopped from voting, Asad Qaiser told

By Muhammad JuniadPublished On 06 Jan 2023

• PTI is mulling multiple options to stop members from voting against PM Imran Khan.
• Asad Qaiser seeks opinion from NA legal department.
• Speaker was informed that none of the members can be stopped from casting their votes.

Amid the ongoing no-confidence motion controversy, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser held a meeting with the legal department to seek an opinion regarding the voting of disgruntled members of the party.

According to sources, the speaker was informed that none of the members can be stopped from casting their votes, however, the party can take action against those who violate its policy.

They further added that citing Article 63(1)A of the Constitution of Pakistan, the legal department said the law is very clear in this regard.

Sources said that the speaker also asked whether he can give a ruling on the disgruntled members before they cast their votes, to which he was informed that ruling was his prerogative but the relevant laws are very much clear and there's no confusion.

In response to Asad Qaiser’s query that whether he can take action against the suspicious members if the party shared their names, the department said that the speaker’s role starts after a formal declaration from the party chairman.

It is pertinent to mention here that on March 9, the Opposition had submitted the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly Secretariat.

A total of 86 lawmakers from the Opposition parties have signed the no-confidence motion, seeking the removal of PM Imran Khan.

Since then the government is mulling options on how to stop their party members from voting against the policy.