Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday successfully obtained a vote of confidence from the National Assembly by securing 180 votes.
According to the details, PPP Chairman and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari tabled the resolution, on which 180 Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) voted yes, as opposed to 174 when Shehbaz Sharif was elected as the prime minister in April last year.
Read more: PML-N takes back no-confidence motion against Parvez Elahi
“The National Assembly of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan reposes its full confidence in the Leadership of Mian Muhammad Shehbaz Sharif, as the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” the resolution read.
The House passes Resolution moved by Mr. Bilawal Bhutto, Minister for Foreign Affairs, reposing full confidence of the National Assembly of Pakistan in the leadership of Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif as the Prime Minister of Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
180 MNAs voted in… pic.twitter.com/JxqvVph0cT
— National Assembly 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) April 27, 2023
After the passing of the resolution, PM Shehbaz Sharif addressed the House and thanked the lawmakers for reposing confidence in him and assured them that he would never let them down.
Meanwhile, PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry claimed that Shehbaz Sharif has lost the vote of confidence as the votes of the dissenting PTI MNAs cannot be counted.
“Shehbaz Sharif has lost the trust of the majority of the members, twenty members of the Assembly who belong to Tehreek-e-Insaf cannot be counted in favor of the Prime Minister, so Shahbaz Sharif has the support of only 160 members of the Assembly instead of only 172 members. Today’s vote is a big defeat for Shahbaz Sharif and PDM,” Fawad Chaudhry said.
شہباز شریف اراکین کی اکثریت کا اعتماد کھو چکے ہیں، بیس اراکین اسمبلی جن کا تعلق تحریک انصاف سے ہے ان کا ووٹ وزیر اعظم کے حق میں شمار نہیں کیا جا سکتا لہذا شہباز شریف کو صرف 172 ارکان کی بجائے صرف 160 ارکان اسمبلی کی حمائیت حاصل آج کا یہ ووٹ شہباز شریف اور PeeDM کی بہت بڑی شکست…
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) April 27, 2023
Furthermore, Shehbaz Sharif securing the vote of confidence among his allies and that too without an Opposition is being questioned on social media.
Is this a joke? A vote of confidence from a parliament without opposition? https://t.co/HZkb79UHlU
— Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) April 27, 2023
عجیب پارلیمنٹ ہے جہاں مخالف کو اعتماد کا ووٹ ملنے پر اپوزیشن لیڈر خوشی سے نہال ہے pic.twitter.com/q47cLHaOa0
— Anwar Lodhi (@AnwarLodhi) April 27, 2023
Pertinent to mention that PM Shehbaz took the vote of confidence after the assembly rejected the money bill tabled by the government for providing funds to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for holding polls in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — on the orders of the Supreme Court.
When the bill was rejected, apparently for the first time in history, the top court — hearing a petition seeking polls simultaneously — implied that the prime minister did not have the confidence of the house.
Read more: Opposition tables no-confidence motion in National Assembly