PESHAWAR: In a bid to prevent the possible dissolution of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the opposition parties are likely to move a no-confidence motion against Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Monday (Oct 31).

Opposition leaders told Dawn that 28 members had signed the no-confidence motion against the CM that would be submitted to the assembly’s secretariat in few days.

ANP lawmaker from Swat Syed Jaffar Shah told Dawn that at least 28 opposition members had signed the motion against the CM.

He said the opposition parties had made the move in view of PTI chief Imran Khan’s threat to dissolve the provincial assembly.

PML-N parliamentary leader in the assembly Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha also confirmed that 28 lawmakers had signed the no-confidence motion.

Mr. Nalotha told Dawn any attempt to dissolve the house was akin to ‘dishonouring’ democracy and that the opposition would never allow such a thing to happen.

He said the opposition leaders would submit the motion to the assembly’s secretariat in few days.

The issue of the KP Assembly’s dissolution was raised in the Wednesday sitting of the house when ANP parliamentary Sardar Hussain Babak on a point of order.

Mr. Babak told lawmakers that there were media reports about the PTI leadership asking party MPAs to tender resignations but the opposition wanted to make it clear that no one would be allowed to dissolve the assembly.

“The opposition MPAs will defend the house on all fronts,” he said.

Section 112 of the Constitution provides for the dissolution of the provincial assembly, while its Clause 136 is about the vote of no confidence against the CM.

Section 112(1) of the Constitution notes that the governor shall dissolve the provincial assembly if so advised by the chief minister and the house shall, unless sooner dissolved, stand dissolved at the expiration of forty eight hours after the chief minister has so advised.

Section 136(1) says a resolution for a vote of no confidence moved by not less than 20 percent of the total membership of the provincial assembly may be passed against the chief minister by the legislature.

Sub-section 2 of the same clause notes that a resolution referred to in Clause 1 shall not be voted upon before the expiration of the three days, or later than seven days, from the day on which such resolution is moved in the provincial assembly.

If the opposition parties tables the no-confidence motion against CM, it will happen for the second time during the term of the incumbent PTI government.

On Aug 19, 2014 during the PTI’s first sit-in, the opposition parties in the provincial assembly submitted a no-confidence motion against the chief minister to stop the PTI government from the dissolution of the assembly after the party chief, Imran Khan, directed its lawmakers to tender resignation from the house.

However, the motion remained stuck in the assembly secretariat until late October when the opposition secretly withdrew it on Oct 21.

Published in Dawn, October 28th, 2016