Prime Minister Imran Khan easily won a vote of confidence from the National Assembly, the lower house of the parliament, on Saturday, days after his finance minister’s defeat in this week’s Senate elections.
Khan, who is trying to prosecute opposition politicians on corruption charges, seems to have made a political statement that his government remains stable after the Senate upset.
The prime minister’s PTI party, which features many experienced politicians, was exposed in the Senate election as the combined 11-party opposition alliance — the Pakistan Democratic Movement — maneuvered its way to success, toppling finance minister Hafeez Sheikh’s hopes of defeating a former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani.
During the Saturday parliamentary vote, the Opposition stayed away in a sign of keeping political pressure on the ruling party.
Khan secured the votes of 178 members of the chamber, which comprises 340 lawmakers. He needed to muster 172 votes to show a simple majority.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Party has the support of 180 members, including 157 members from Khan’s party and 20 members from allied parties and two independents whereas the opposition alliance, PDM, enjoys the support of 160 lawmakers.
On the other hand, the Opposition has a slight, 53-47 majority over Khan and wants the prime minister to resign.
Khan continued his criticism of the Election Commission, saying 15 or 16 lawmakers from his party were bribed to sell their votes. The members who voted against the party lines cannot be identified as the Senate election vote is done via secret ballot.
Political tensions played outside the Parliament, opposition leaders from the former ruling party Pakistan Muslim League argued heatedly with Khan’s supporters.
The PTI supporters and a PML-N leader engaged in violent scuffles, which the media channels relayed to promote competing narratives of the fight.
Cell phone videos showed workers of PTI throwing a shoe on the former Interior Minister, Ahsan Iqbal besides physically assaulting Ms. Maryam Auranzeb, the spokesperson of Pakistan Muslim League (N).
A video showed former Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi unleashing outbursts against PTI workers while ex-spokesperson, Dr. Musaddaq Malik punched and kicked the PTI workers after they hit Maryam Aurangzeb.
