[Current Affairs] March 04, 2021 Top Pakistan Current Affairs for FPSC Test Preparation

2. Prime Minister to face confidence vote from parliament

What’s going on? Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan will seek a vote of confidence from parliament after his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) govt lost a high-profile Senate seat from the capital, Islamabad.

The details: PTI candidate, Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, lost against former PM Yousaf Raza Gilani, who was a joint candidate of the opposition alliance. Gilani secured 169 out of 340 votes, while Shaikh got 164. Even though Shaikh lost the Senate election, he can continue to serve as Finance Minister.

Tell me more: Legislators from Pakistan’s provincial assemblies and National Assembly vote in the Senate election. PTI’s ruling alliance has a majority in the National Assembly, which is why PM Khan and his govt were expecting Shaikh to win the Senate seat from Islamabad. Gilani’s win suggests that some members of the PTI party defected and voted for the opposition candidate.

Corruption allegations: PTI also accused Gilani’s son, Ali Haider Gilani, of buying votes for his dad. PTI made this allegation after watching a leaked video. The younger Gilani denied PTI’s accusation, saying he was in the video with other lawmakers, but not buying votes for his dad.

Looking ahead: While addressing a press conference with senior PTI leaders, Foreign Minister, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said the vote of confidence will show who stands with PM Khan, and who doesn’t. Some might think PM Khan seeking a vote of confidence is a risky move. However, Information Minister, Shibli Faraz, shared a different perspective. He said the vote is meant to show PM Khan’s political opponents that he still has the confidence of parliament.

Something to know: In the days leading up to the Senate election, the opposition alliance (i.e. Pakistan Democratic Movement) claimed that a win for Gilani would mean a “vote of no-confidence” against PM Khan. A vote of confidence is a procedure that members of a legislative body use to show their support, or lack of support, for a leader. If there is a vote of “no-confidence” that means legislators no longer have confidence in an individual’s leadership.

The bottom line: Media reports suggest PTI gained enough of a majority in the Senate. However, the lost seat from Islamabad is reportedly a significant blow to PM Khan and his govt.