A no-confidence motion signed by 31-members of the provincial legislature belonging to PML-Q, PPP(S) and four independents along with two MPAs of the ruling Muthahida Majlis-i-Amal (MMA) has formally submitted the motion with the assembly secretariat.
Opposition leaders who submitted the motion in the provincial assembly are Shahzada Mohammad Gustasip Khan, parliamentary leader of PML-Q, Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and woman MPA, Nighat Yasmeen Orakzai. The no-confidence motion is carrying the signatures of the 15 MPAs of PPP-Sherpao, 10 MPAs of PML-Q, four independents, Ghaliba Khurshid of Tehrik-e-Islami, a component of the religious alliance MMA, former deputy speaker Ikramullah Shahid of JUI-S and two ANP dissidents.
The opposition parties in NWFP have moved the motion to block the dissolution of the assembly. The decision of the dissolution of the NWFP Assembly has been taken in a Thursday meeting of the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), with Qazi Hussain Ahmad in the chair.
According to the decision taken in the meeting all parliamentarians of the component political parties of the opposition alliance are said to be going to tender their resignations from national and all four provincial assemblies in the country to protest the re-election bid of President General Pervez Musharraf.
All 85 members of the National Assembly and 152 members of the provincial assemblies of the component political parties of APDM had already handed over their resignations to their party leadership. These resignations would be handed over to secretariats of the assembly concerned while NWFP Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani is likely to advise the governor for the dissolution of the assembly.
The submission of the no-confidence motion by the opposition parliamentary parties in the provincial assembly has created complications for the provincial government. The no-confidence the constitution restricts Chief Minister from dissolution of the assembly. The purpose of the dissolution of the NWFP was to make the electoral college of the presidential polls incomplete.
Meanwhile, provincial president PML-Q and federal minister for political affairs, Engr Amir Muqaam has criticised the bid of the ruling religio-political alliance -MMA - for dissolution of the provincial legislature, saying it would deprive members of their choice to take decision according to their free will.