Imran Khan calls for vote of confidence in Pakistan Assembly after major upset in Senate

After failing to gain a majority in the Pakistan Senate, the country's Foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Wednesday said that PM Imran Khan will seek a vote of confidence from the parliament. Addressing a press conference, he said that with the vote one will come to know where the government stands. This decision comes after PTI candidate Abdul Hafeez Sheikh lost the Senate's general seat from Islamabad to PPP candidate Yousaf Raza Gillani. The current strength of the National Assembly is 341 (one seat vacant) - with the government having 178 seats and the Opposition has 160 seats.

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Imran Khan calls for vote of confidence

"Imran Khan and his party have decided to seek a vote of confidence from parliament. It will become clear who stands where. Those who stand with Imran Khan will be seen on his side, others who have come to like PML-N, PPP's stances, they will have the right to join them," said Qureshi at a press conference. Terming it a sad day for democracy, he added, "We will ensure that this politics of escapism is buried forever."

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Pakistan Senate polls

Scoring a big win, the 11-party People's Democratic Movement (PDM)'s Yousuf Raza Gilani defeated PTI's Hafeez Shaikh on the Islamabad general seat. As per Geo TV, Gilani obtained 169 votes, whereas Shaikh got 164. One vote was not cast. With 37 seats up for grabs, PDM has gained control of the upper house with 53 of the 100 member senate. Imran Khan's PTI  has 25 seats, PPP has 21 seats, PML-N has 17 seats, BAP has 13 seats and others have 24 seats, as per the current senate split.

As per reports, PTI has accused Opposition of being involved in illegal activity by using money to gain votes, while the Opposition blamed the ruling PTI for raising the open ballot issue because it is not sure of its lawmakers’ loyalties. Recent video of  Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani's son Ali Haider Gilani allegedly telling the PTI MPAs how to discard votes, has caused a massive scandal, with the govt vowing to probe it. As PTI's  Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh enjoyed the support of 180 MNAs as opposed to Gilani who had 161 MNAs' support, his loss has shaken the weak Imran Khan government.

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PDM's rallies

The loss of Imran Khan's control over the Pakistan Senate comes amid the PDM's three-phased anti-government movement under an “action plan” starting with countrywide public meetings, protest demonstrations and rallies before a “decisive long march” towards Islamabad in March 2021 to oust the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) government. Addressing three rallies in Gujranwala, Quetta, Karachi, ex-PM Nawaz Sharif created shockwaves when he had targetted the country's current military leadership - naming top leaders Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa and ISI chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed. According to him, the root cause of Pakistan's problems was the military's refusal to accept the writ of the elected representatives with not a single PM being allowed to complete the 5-year tenure in Pakistan's history. Imran Khan's government's term ends in 2023.

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