March 17, 2022
2 mins read

Pak democracy under siege ahead of no-confidence motion

On March 10, police in the capital, Islamabad, stormed the parliamentarians’ apartments and detained two opposition MPs along with several other opposition activists….reports Asian Lite News

 Pakistan’s democratic institutions are facing a new threat, Human Rights Watch has said.

On march 8, opposition political parties sought a no-confidence motion in parliament to remove Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan. Government officials responded by threatening violence and briefly detaining two members of parliament (MPs). The situation risks spiraling into a dangerous confrontation.

Under Pakistan’s constitution, the Prime Minister ceases to hold office if the majority of the members of the National Assembly vote for a motion of no confidence. The government has announced that this vote will be held on March 28.

On March 10, police in the capital, Islamabad, stormed the parliamentarians’ apartments and detained two opposition MPs along with several other opposition activists. The police alleged that volunteers from the opposition Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam F (JUI-F) had entered the apartments without permission. All were released within hours.

Four days later, Federal Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan threatened to “blow up the opposition in a suicide attack”. Shahbaz Gill, a special assistant to the Prime Minister, said that photographs of “traitors” – meaning any members of Prime Minister Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) party who votes against Khan – would be displayed in cities so people could identify them.

Pak Police raid in Parliament lodges

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry suggested that ‘one million’ supporters would come to Islamabad on voting day and warned that anyone who wishes to vote against Khan would “have to pass through these people on their way in and out of the Parliament building.”

In response, the opposition Pakistan Democratic Alliance (PDM) called upon its own supporters to also gather in Islamabad, setting the stage for a potentially violent confrontation.

HRW said the government has a responsibility to uphold the constitution and allow for voting without threats or violence on the no-confidence motion.

Both the government and opposition should send a strong message to their supporters not to subvert the democratic process or sway the vote through intimidation or other criminal acts. Parliamentary voting is a core democratic principle and attempts to obstruct it risk further undermining an institution vital to representative government and the rule of law, it added.

ALSO READ: Pakistan takes up India’s missile misfire with UN Chief

Previous Story

PIWTT can make Assam a tea export hub

Next Story

US may remove Iran’s Revolutionary Guards from terror list

Latest from -Top News

Pakistan’s Shadow War in Balochistan

At least 50 killed by Pakistan-backed death squads in Balochistan in April, says HRCB — toll expected to rise in May….reports Asian Lite News The Human Rights Council of Balochistan (HRCB) reported

Russia, Ukraine Resume Talks

The upcoming talks follow a significant hiatus in diplomatic engagement between the two nations, which have been locked in a brutal conflict since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 Russia and

UN Pays Tribute to Indian Soldiers

Thursday was observed as the 77th UN Peacekeepers Day, honouring the work of 61,353 peacekeepers, of whom 5,375 hailed from India….reports Asian Lite News Brigadier Amitabh Jha and Havildar Sanjay Singh, who

Modi’s New Warfare Playbook

Modi has upended the old playbook and India and Pakistan are entering dangerous new territory where nuclear deterrence is no longer a guarantee against conventional conflict…writes Collins Chong Yew Keat The India-Pakistan

World needs Dubai’s ambition: Morgan

Piers Morgan has hailed Dubai’s transformation as an example of what visionary leadership can achieve. British broadcaster Piers Morgan has praised the extraordinary ambition and vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Pakistan stocks end in red amid controversy on ISI

The benchmark KSE-100 index shed 661.3 points, or 1.51 per

Imran Moves HC For Bail in Toshakhana, Al-Qadir Case

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, through his counsel, filed two