ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif secured a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Thursday, with 180 lawmakers reposing “full confidence” in his leadership as the premier, media reports said. After the House reposed confidence in him, the premier spoke at length about the recent orders of the higher judiciary, expressing reservations on rulings that questioned the Parliament’s confidence in him and warned of “serious consequences”, Dawn reported.
The unexpected development came days after Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb vehemently refuted reports claiming that the premier had decided to seek a vote of confidence from the Parliament. The resolution for the trust vote was moved by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. After it was moved, voting was conducted with lawmakers in favour of adopting the resolution rising from their seats. Subsequently, National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf announced that 180 members of the House had risen from their seats in favour of the resolution, Dawn reported. In his address, Sharif went on to say that the Parliament’s decisions are being challenged today.
“This Parliament elected me as the Prime Minister. If this Parliament reaches a decision after debate and obliges the government and cabinet, it is mandatory for me to respect its decision. It is mandatory for me to stand by them,” he said, vowing to stand by the Parliament on its decisions, Dawn reported.
“My government is standing with them... No matter what,” he asserted. In an apparent reference to a Supreme Court ruling, wherein the government was barred from implementing a bill clipping the Chief Justice of Pakistan’s powers following its enactment, the premier said: “It is not possible that the Parliament frames a law and the judiciary issues a stay order on it even before it is enforced.” (IANS)
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