Shehbaz Sharif to seek vote of confidence

Islamabad, April 27 Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has decided to take a vote of confidence from the National Assembly on Thursday itself, media reports said.

Officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that the PM decided to seek a trust vote after holding consultations with lawmakers of the ruling alliance at a luncheon held on Thursday, Geo News reported.

Shehbaz Sharif was supposed to take the vote on Wednesday afternoon but the exercise was deferred till Thursday, as per a report in The News.

More than 190 members of the National Assembly (MNAs) were present in the house whereas 172 members constitute a majority.

Sources said members of the opposition could also take part in the vote of confidence, Geo News reported.

Shehbaz Sharif stated on Wednesday that the top court had no power to act as an arbitrator on the issue of elections between the opposition and government, The News reported.

"The function of the Supreme Court is not that of a panchayat but to give judgments according to the Constitution and law," he said in a televised address after meeting his coalition partners.

Referring to the verdict of a three-member Supreme Court bench that ordered polls to the Punjab Assembly on May 14, he said the Parliament did not accept it.