Pakistan: Imran Govt On The Brink? Bilawal Bhutto Eyes No Confidence Motion To Bring Down PTI Govt

Pakistan`s federal government to hold Senate elections in February instead of March 2021. The polls are expected to result in the loss of seats for PDM, which currently controls the Upper House.

Imran Khan/ Image: AFP

Pakistan: In a fresh political tiff in Pakistan, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday has come up strongly against Prime Minister Imran Khan and his government saying the only way to only way to remove the PM was to table a no-confidence motion.

Bilawal is determined to convince the members of the opposition`s 11-party alliance--Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)--on the strategy even as the leader demanded the PM to voluntarily step down because of his "failure at all fronts," as per the Dawn report.

"It is the only way out... We are not anarchists. We believe in democracy and legal process. This is the only way out, I think. We need to go through the parliament for every move," he said at the press conference, as per ANI.

The leader is working out ways to bring the PDM and allied parties on one page on this option. The leader added he believed in democratic norms and this is why we always resist the role of the establishment in making or breaking governments.

What are the accusations?

Khan`s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government has been accused of pre-poll rigging ahead of Senate elections and the PPF chairman has warned political and democratic forces of the country to be vigilant.

"We see the government is already making efforts... And they would use their ATMs for this [Senate elections]. They are actually in a state of panic and in that state they are making absolutely illogical moves. For instance, they have moved the court on an issue [open vote for Senate elections] which absolutely has no sense. I hope the court would send it [the presidential reference] back to the parliament and issue orders that it was the prerogative of the parliamentarian to decide the matter," he said.

Meanwhile, the government through Attorney General for Pakistan Khalid Jawed Khan has sought an interpretation of Article 226 of the Constitution through the presidential reference. The article states that all elections, other than those of the prime minister and chief ministers, shall be held through secret ballot.

The government believes that open ballots in the Senate elections can be introduced by amending the Election Act 2017, instead of amending the Constitution, as per The Express Tribune report.

However, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) on Saturday opposed holding Senate elections through open ballot without amending the Constitution.

The opposition parties contend that a constitutional amendment is required to change the voting mode.

The ECP, through its counsel Sajeel Sheryar Swati, submitted a concise statement in the presidential reference case in the Supreme Court, which is being heard by a five-judge larger bench led by Chief Justice of Pakistan Gulzar Ahmed.

Pakistan`s federal government has decided to hold Senate elections in February instead of March 2021. The polls are expected to result in the loss of seats for PDM, which currently controls the Upper House.

The decision was taken on Tuesday during a meeting of the federal Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Imran Khan, reported Dawn.