Amid uproarious protests over the killing of Baloch tribal leader Nawab Akbar Bugti and allegations of corruption, a no-trust motion by the Opposition against Pakistan Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz was defeated in the Parliament in Islamabad on Tuesday night.
Much on the expected lines, the no-trust motion by leaders of the moderate Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and Islamist Muthahida Majlis Amal was defeated by over 200 votes at the end of fiery speeches by several Opposition leaders over the killing of Bugti and irregularities in the privatisation process in the country.
Countering the charges, Aziz and his ministerial colleagues put up a strong defence during the debate after which the motion was put to vote by Speaker Amir Hussain.
Hussain announced that 136 members voted in favour of the opposition motion in the 342-member House.
"The failure of the Opposition is victory for democracy," Aziz said after the voting.
Earlier, the Speaker overruled the Opposition's demand to hold a secret ballot and instead the voting was held in open with the ruling and opposition party members lined up in different sides of the House to register their votes.
Wearing black bands to protest the death of Bugti, whose body is yet to be traced by the army, members from ARD and the MMA chanted anti-government slogans when Aziz walked into the House to take part in the debate. Since the killing of Bugti on Saturday, the opposition has made it the prime focus of its campaign against the government.
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