Pakistan Opposition worried about security of lawmakers ahead of no-trust vote

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif has called on the Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT) administration to ensure the security of every Member of the National Assembly (MNA) irrespective of party affiliation referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan's statement to gather 100,000 supporters outside the Parliament House on Sunday when voting will be held on the no-confidence motion.

In a letter addressed to the Chief Commissioner, Deputy Commissioner (DC) and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Islamabad, Shehbaz Sharif sought complete security for all MNAs who would be voting on Sunday (April 3), reported Dawn.

"It is your constitutional and legal duty and responsibility to ensure full security/protection to all MNAs, irrespective of political affiliation, when they attend the National Assembly for exercising their right to vote on the resolution for a vote of no-confidence against the prime minister under Article 95(1) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," wrote Sharif.

He said the National Assembly was scheduled to meet on Sunday at 11:30 am when voting on the above-mentioned resolution would be held.

Referring to Prime Minister Imran Khan's conversation with media representatives on March 29 during which he said 100,000 Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) supporters would gather outside the Parliament House on the day of the voting, the opposition leader, in his letter, said any such gathering would be in blatant violation of the additional district magistrate's order dated March 18 that prohibits the gathering of five or more persons inside the Red Zone under Section 144 of the CrPC.

The letter further said any such gathering would inevitably provoke other parties to bring their own supporters for self-protection, which might lead to bloodshed and chaos, reported Dawn.

Shehbaz Sharif said the onus was on the capital administration to enforce the law and ensure safe passage to all MNAs to and from the National Assembly on Sunday (April 3) when the resolution was voted upon, adding that security arrangements must be fool proof as no negligence or any excuse of inadequate preparation would be accepted as in the Sindh House incident.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, officers of the capital administration and police told Dawn that the prevailing political situation had put prominent leaders of the opposition parties, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) as well as dissident PTI members and lawmakers from the former coalition partners under severe threat.

"Their security is at high risk, especially after a call was given to PTI activists and members to reach Islamabad on the day of the no-confidence vote scheduled for Sunday," the officials added.

Meanwhile, a dissident MNA from PTI has accused Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Mahmood Khan of creating an "Afghanistan-like situation" after an audio of the chief minister got leaked in which he can be heard directing cabinet members and party MPAs to stage protests and carry photographs of those PTI parliamentarians who had switched sides, reported Dawn.

In the leaked audio, the chief minister was heard asking cabinet members and MPAs to take out rallies across the province to show solidarity with the prime minister and against 18 dissident MNAs as well as the US after Friday prayers.

"This is an order from the prime minister and he had called me to tell the ministers and MPAs to take out rallies in their respective constituencies against the MNAs who ditched the party," the chief minister is heard telling cabinet colleagues and MPAs in a voice message, reported Dawn.

"Chant slogans against the traitors (MNAs) who have sold themselves out, find their portraits and also raise slogans against America," he said.

Protests were also held in various parts of the country against the letter in which PM Khan was threatened.

Talking to Dawn, Chief Minister Mahmood Khan owned the voice message but clarified that his message was for staging peaceful rallies. "Yes, I directed my ministers and party workers to take out peaceful rallies after Friday prayers," he said.

Pakistan is in political turmoil after the Opposition brought a no-trust vote against Imran Khan. Moreover, Khan lost the majority on Wednesday after the Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) -- the ruling PTI's main ally -- announced that it would support the joint opposition in the no-trust resolution.

The MQM-P has seven seats in the National Assembly and after its decision to part ways with the government, the opposition has the support of 177 MNAs, five more than the 172 required to gain a majority.

Khan's government survival depends on the support of allies such as MQM-P (7 seats), BAP (5 seats), PML(Q) (5 seats), GDA (3 seats), AML (1 seat), JWP (1 seat) and two independents.

( With inputs from ANI )

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