Voting on no-trust motion to take place after March 27

PTI Senator Faisal Javed Khan said on Monday that the voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran will take place after March 27.

In a tweet, he said the "biggest rally" in Pakistan's history would be held at Islamabad's D-Chowk, located in front of Parliament House, on March 27 during which PM Imran would give a "historic speech".

"Voting on the no-confidence resolution will take place after March 27. The opposition will face complete defeat. Confidence in PM Imran Khan will [increase]."

After holding consultations and marathon sessions for weeks, the opposition had submitted the no-confidence motion on March 8, reports Dawn.

Besides submitting the resolution under Article 95 of the Constitution, the opposition members had also submitted a requisition notice for convening the National Assembly under Article 54(3) of the Constitution on a one-point agenda i.e. to take up the resolution.

Under the Constitution, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is bound to convene the assembly session within 14 days after submission of the requisition notice, which means he will have to call the sitting by March 22. Voting on the no-confidence motion must take place between three and seven days after the session is summoned.

Explainer: How does a no-confidence motion work?

Earlier today, Planning and Development Minister Asad Umar, while announcing the date of the rally to be held at D-Chowk, said, "The world will witness how the people of Pakistan stand by their captain (PM Imran) for their freedom and sovereignty."

Last week, while addressing a public meeting in Lower Dir, Prime Minister Imran had urged people to gather at D-Chowk on the eve of the no-trust vote.

The PTI subsequently began preparations for the power show, with the premier forming a four-member committee, headed by Umar, to oversee the arrangements.

'Sea of people' expected
Separately, the PTI's media cell issued a statement today quoting Umar as saying that the PTI was anticipating a "sea of people" at the rally.

"We will welcome a sea of people at Islamabad's D-Chowk on March 27. We will write down history," he said, calling on his party's members and supporters to prepare for the "largest rally in Pakistan's history".

Umar asked PTI lawmakers, senators and local leaders to mobilise people for the public meeting across the country, saying PM Imran would outline the "future strategy" on the occasion.

He added that PTI MNA and Additional Secretary General Amir Mehmood Kiani would oversee the arrangements for the rally.

The minister said PM Imran was a symbol of "nation's unity" and "a message of fear for looters".

He further said PM Imran had steered the country on the path of success, whereas a "group of selfish people wanted to hamper this progress and push the country towards a decline".

Preparations
Earlier, PTI central office administrator Zahid Kazmi told Dawn that MNAs from Rawalpindi and Islamabad had met Prime Minister Imran on Saturday afternoon and the latter constituted a four-member committee to organise the public meeting.

He said all lawmakers from Islamabad and Rawalpindi division had been directed to bring workers to the public meeting and make it successful like the one held in Lahore in 2011.

Kazmi added that committees had been formed to make arrangements.

Meanwhile, PTI former MPA and district organising committee member Arif Abbasi also said the party had started work to hold the public gathering in front of Parliament House.

He said the PTI would manage to gather more than 300,000 people from Rawalpindi division and Islamabad if all party leaders and lawmakers worked for it within a few days.

"There is a target for each union council chapter of the party to bring 100 people. There are 70 union councils in Rawalpindi city while the tehsil organisations have been asked to bring a maximum number of people," he said.

However, some local party workers were worried how to convince people to attend the public gathering of the ruling party when inflation had made their lives miserable, the Dawn report said.

On the other hand, the PPP and PML-N have also asked their workers in Rawalpindi and Islamabad to be ready for coming to the federal capital, the report added.