Pakistani PM to seek vote of trust from parliament this week
Pakistan’s ruling party says the country's prime minister Imran Khan will seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly this weekend to prove he still enjoys the support of majority lawmakers in the house
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Pakistan's prime minister will seek a vote of confidence from the National Assembly this weekend to prove he still has the support of majority lawmakers in the house, despite the defeat of his ruling party's key candidate in Senate s elections, a Cabinet minister said Thursday.
If Prime Minister Imran Khan fails to win the vote of confidence, Pakistan could face another phase of political turmoil. According to Chaudhry Fawad Hussain, science and technology minister, the vote is due on Saturday. Khan is to address the nation later on Thursday evening.
The development comes a day after the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf party's candidate Hafeez Sheikh lost a hotly contested election for a seat in the Senate, or upper house of parliament, against former Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, who won in a 169-164 vote.
Senate elections were seen as a test for Khan, who came to power in the 2018 parliamentary elections. Though Khan improved his standing in the 100-member Senate, Sheikh’s defeat was a setback for his government.
Hussain, the science and technology minister, also said that senators are expected to vote in the coming days on a new chairman of the Senate. The incumbent, Sadiq Sanjrani, is to be the ruling party's candidate again. Gilani is likely to contest the vote for the chairman. He served as prime minister from 2008 to 2012.
Gilani’s success in the Senate indicates that some of the ruling party's lawmakers had rebelled and did not vote for Sheikh. Votes for the Senate are cast by members of the National Assembly, or the lower house of parliament, and four provincial assemblies.