Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday obtained the vote of confidence from the National Assembly and commanded the trust of the majority of the Lower House as the Prime Minister of Pakistan.

To this respect, a resolution was moved by Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari. One hundred and eighty members voted in favour of the resolution.

Speaking on the occasion, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said today’s resolution reflects that Pakistan’s Parliament stands by the Constitution, democracy, supremacy of the Parliament and the Constitution as well as by the 4-3 majority decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif thanked the coalition parties for reposing trust in him.

Taking the floor after securing the vote of confidence, he especially thanked former President Asif Ali Zardari, Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Sardar Akhtar Jan Mengal, Khalid Magsi, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Amir Haider Hoti, Mohsin Dawar, Aftab Sherpao, and all the coalition leaders for their trust.

The Prime Minister said we are politicians and we always believe in negotiations to sort out differences.

He said the coalition government has invited the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for talks at the Senate of Pakistan. He said these talks will begin on Thursday and their agenda will be simultaneous and transparent elections in the entire Pakistan. He said Pakistan is a federation comprising four federating units and holding elections in Punjab only will send negative connotations to other provinces.

Talking about the negative politics of the PTI, Shehbaz Sharif said PTI Chief Imran Khan, in connivance with former chief justice Saqib Nisar, hatched a conspiracy against Pakistan.

He said the duo had ruined Pakistan’s economy and other projects like PKLI. He said it was Saqib Nisar, who played a vital role in rigging the previous elections and paving the way for Imran Khan to come to power.

He said writ of the law and the constitution cannot be established unless characters like Saqib Nisar are not brought to justice.

The Prime Minister further said that it is prerogative of the Parliament to make or amend laws and the judiciary can only interpret it. He said the judiciary cannot rewrite the constitution. He said today’s trust vote is a reflection of parliament’s will that this house stands with the majority decision of the apex court and is not ready to accept the minority judgment.

Shehbaz Sharif also expressed the commitment to uphold the dignity and honour of the Parliament at all costs.