On Thursday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif gained the support of the National Assembly as 180 lawmakers expressed confidence in his leadership.
Speaker National Assembly Raja Pervaiz Ashraf announced the results, stating that 180 members of the house reposed their full confidence in Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s leadership. The resolution, put forth by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, declared, “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.”
Grateful to the lawmakers who backed him, the Prime Minister thanked them and approached Opposition Leader Raja Riaz of the PTI to express his gratitude. A total of 180 Members of the National Assembly voted in favor of the trust vote, an increase from the 174 votes when Shehbaz Sharif was elected as Prime Minister last year.
The government sought a trust vote following the National Assembly’s rejection of a money bill proposed by the government to fund the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) for organizing elections in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
During a luncheon address to parliamentarians, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif took a firm stance on election dates, asserting that elections in the country would occur simultaneously, as reported by 24NewsHD TV channel.
The Prime Minister emphasized the importance of the Parliament’s decisions and the need to accept them. “The government will ensure the implementation of the Parliament’s decisions on every issue. No matter what anyone does, there will be no compromise on the supremacy of the Parliament,” he stressed.
Subsequently, the Prime Minister decided to seek a vote of confidence from the MNAs, which took place during the National Assembly session.
When a journalist inquired about talks with former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, he responded, “Ask Bilawal.”
In response to a question about whether the Prime Minister needed a vote of confidence, Asif Zardari said, “What do we know about the news? We are faqirs. We go where we are led to.”
When asked if negotiations were likely to proceed, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari replied, “If I get a chance, I will talk to the media.”
