ISLAMABAD: The Pakistani interior minister said on Friday the government would deploy paramilitary soldiers from the Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC) for the security of the national assembly and the residential lodges of lawmakers when parliament votes in the coming weeks on a no confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Pakistani opposition parties this week filed a formal no-confidence motion against Khan with parliament. Under the constitution, the speaker of the National Assembly must soon convene a special session that will deliberate whether Khan still has majority support in the house.
Should Khan fail to win approval, the parliament will have to choose a new prime minister.
On Thursday night, as opposition leaders deliberated inside the parliamentary lodges, police launched an operation against supporters of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), who the government said were illegally present on the premises. Opposition leaders say the supporters, who belong to the JUI-F’s Ansar-ul-Islam force, were called in to protect lawmakers as the political scene heats up over the no confidence motion.
“On Election day, parliament house, MNA [Member National Assembly] lodges and old MNA house are being handed over to Rangers and FC,” Inter Minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad said at a press conference, adding that the government would provide security to any lawmakers who demanded it in the run up to the no trust vote.
The national assembly speaker has not yet summoned the national assembly session or announced the day of voting.
The opposition collectively has 162 votes against 179 of the government in the 342-member National Assembly. One seat is vacant due to the death of a legislator. The opposition requires at least 172 votes to bring down Khan’s government.
