The National Assembly Saturday made history by giving a unanimous vote of confidence to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani. Parliamentary leaders in the Lower House of Parliament announced their support to Gilani for the vote of confidence in the prime minister. Soon after the resolution for reposing confidence in Gilani was moved in the National Assembly, Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat on behalf of Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) said his party has wholeheartedly accepted people's mandate given in the Feb. 18 general elections. He said the PML-Q announced its support for Gilani as a goodwill gesture so that the new government could meet the challenges facing by Pakistan and the nation. Parliamentary leader of Pir Pagara's Functional League Jehangir Tareen also announced his party's full support to Gilani. Parliamentary Leader of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Dr. Farooq Sattar said that in past his party announced unconditional support to late Benazir Bhutto when she had contested for the office of the prime minister. Demonstrating the same spirit, he said, the MQM extends its support to Gilani. He said it is a historical event that all opposition parties have unanimously agreed to support the prime minister in his vote of confidence from the National Assembly. Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) parliamentary leader Aftab Sherpao also announced his party's support to Gilani. He said PPP-S has agreed to elect Speaker and Deputy Speaker in North West Frontier Province (NWFP) assembly unopposed. In addition it will elect the NWFP chief unopposed. “Let the parliament be remembered that it has set a new tradition for the welfare of the people and development of Pakistan.” Earlier, Syed Naveed Qamar, Ahsan Iqbal, Asfandyar Wali, Dr. Farooq Sattar, Munir Khan Aurakzai, Manzoor Wattoo and Maulana Muhammad Qasim moved the confidence resolution. Naveed Qamar thanked the National Assembly including the opposition for reposing confidence in Gilani. Later, Speaker Dr. Fehmida Mirza directed her staff to count the votes. However, Asfandyar Wali was of the view that since the entire National Assembly had extended vote of confidence in prime minister, there was no need to count the vote. After consultations with her staff, the Speaker announced that the resolution was passed unanimously. Earlier Gillani requested the opposition to support the motion for vote of confidence. “Support me in the vote of confidence for the solidarity of Pakistan,” he said in his brief remarks before the motion was put to the House. Gilani was elected as prime minister on March 25 by securing 246 votes by the National Assembly. __
