Pakistan's PM wins 'vote of confidence'
Nasir Kazmi
Press TV, Islamabad
In spite of the government's ongoing legal battle with the Supreme Court over elections, 180 lawmakers gave Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif their "full confidence" in his ability to lead the country, granting him a vote of confidence from the National Assembly.
Sharif praised his party members and allies for their support after being elected last year with 174 votes to succeed Imran Khan, who was ousted in a vote of no confidence.
The former Pakistani Premier Imran Khan, who has been attempting to force early elections, has suffered a major setback as a result of the governing coalition's show of power.
Khan dissolved his Party’s local governments of the Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces in January in an effort to press the government for holding early elections.
However, the ruling collation turned down his demands despite intervention by the country’s top court, arguing that government is unable to hold elections in May due to the shortage of financial resources and the country’s deteriorating security situation.
Khan’s political party PTI believes that government is afraid of its possible defeat in the upcoming elections and that’s why it is using delaying tactics.
Meanwhile, following the directives given by the top court, both the government and the opposition started negotiations to set a timeframe for holding fresh polls in the country.
Although the talks between the government and the opposition have been initiated on the directives of the country’s top court, analysts say it is unlikely that these negotiations will yield any positive result as the ruling coalition seems determined to complete its constitutional term which will be ended in August this year.
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