Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06ISLAMABAD17257
2006-08-30 13:10:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Islamabad
Cable title:  

NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON PM AZIZ FAILS

Tags:  PGOV PREL PTER PK 
pdf how-to read a cable
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R 301310Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9214
INFO RUEHTA/AMEMBASSY ALMATY 9572
RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 1062
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 3776
RUEHLM/AMEMBASSY COLOMBO 0882
RUEHKA/AMEMBASSY DHAKA 1610
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 6061
RUEHKT/AMEMBASSY KATHMANDU 6998
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI 9177
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 1746
RUEHKP/AMCONSUL KARACHI 2574
RUEHLH/AMCONSUL LAHORE 9962
RUEHPW/AMCONSUL PESHAWAR 7946
C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 017257 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON PM AZIZ FAILS

REF: ISLAMABAD 17014

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter W. Bodde, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d
).

C O N F I D E N T I A L ISLAMABAD 017257

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/30/2016
TAGS: PGOV PREL PTER PK
SUBJECT: NO CONFIDENCE VOTE ON PM AZIZ FAILS

REF: ISLAMABAD 17014

Classified By: Charge d'Affaires Peter W. Bodde, Reason 1.4 (b) and (d
).


1. (C) Summary: The government easily defeated an August
29 no-confidence vote against Prime Minster Shaukat Aziz.
Opposition leaders admitted they tabled the motion knowing it
could not pass, but said the vote was intended to stake out a
position against the government as an opening move in the
campaign for late 2007 elections. End summary.


2. (SBU) On August 29, the National Assembly rejected a no
confidence vote against Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz. The
opposition's 17-page charge sheet (and 500 pages of
self-described "evidence") accused the PM of corruption or
incompetence in many of the government's decisions of the
past two years. The measure received only 136 votes of the
172 required. Since the opposition fell short, there was no
need for government supporters to cast their votes.


3. (SBU) The case had been brought before the Assembly on
August 23, but the August 27th death of Baloch tribal leader
Nawab Bugti, not the specifics of the original motion,
ultimately dominated the debate preceding the no confidence
vote, not the specifics of the original motion (Septel).


4. (C) In separate conversations with Poloff the evening of
the 29th, Senator Mian Raza Rabbani, the Senate's leader of
the opposition and Deputy Secretary of the Pakistan People's
Party (PPP),and Ashen Iqbal, Central Information Secretary of
the Nawaz Sharif faction of the Pakistan Muslim League
(PML-N),argued that the no confidence measure -- tabled in
the certainty that it would not pass -- was a necessary
action to stake out a position against the Musharraf
government. Ashen Iqbal added that the no confidence vote
was an opening move in the campaign for the late 2007
elections.
BODDE