ARD strategy on no-trust move

Published June 25, 2003

ISLAMABAD, June 24: The Alliance for Restoration of Democracy (ARD) has finalized its strategy regarding a no-confidence motion against National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain if the ruling party stopped its members from casting votes, a source told Dawn on Tuesday.

He said the ARD, an alliance of opposition parties including the PPP and the PML-N had decided to continue its protest against the controversial Legal Framework Order (LFO) even if the present no-trust motion against the speaker failed.

If the ruling party adopted negative tactics and barred its members from attending the assembly session, the ARD members would submit another no-trust motion against the speaker within the next two days, the source said.

“If again the government did the same thing, we would move the motion yet again,” he added.

He said the Rule 12, under which the no-trust motion had been filed against the speaker, “could be turned into Rule 21”, which dealt with the removal of the prime minister.

When contacted, secretary information of the newly-formed ARD parliamentary group, Izhar Amrohvi, said: “Yes, the opposition is considering a no-trust motion against Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali under Rule 21 as well”.

He said no-trust motions could be filed against the speaker or prime minister every week as there was no bar in the rules and the Constitution in this regard. At the moment the opposition had restricted its protest within the constitutional limit. However, if the government violated any norms, then the ruling party would be “responsible for the consequences,” he said.

Mr Amrohvi said the ARD would organize seminars in all cities to apprise people of the “negative impact” of the LFO on their lives.