December 29, 2002	Sunday	Shawwal 24, 1423

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ISLAMABAD, Dec 28: Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali on Saturday expressed the confidence that he will surmount the toughest challenge of securing vote of confidence in the National Assembly’s special session on Monday by crossing the figure of 180 votes, informed sources told Dawn.

He had secured 172 votes from a house of 342 on Nov 21 last when ten MNAs belonging to PPP crossed over to his camp by forming “Patriots” in the PPP. This time round, the Jamali coalition is expecting some more turncoats both from the PPP and the PML-N, the sources claimed.

He told the federal cabinet that all arrangements had been finalized satisfactorily and assured that the securing of vote of confidence would be a smooth sailing.

According to the sources privy to the federal cabinet meeting, Jamali decided to appoint a ministerial committee to be led by party parliamentary leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and comprising Humayun Akhtar Khan, Naseer Khan, Chaudhry Nowrez Shakoor and Faisal Saleh Hayat, which will supervise the vote of confidence proceedings and motivate maximum number of voters in his favour.

He asked his cabinet ministers to keep themselves in touch with MNAs and try to convince them for his support in the vote of confidence.