Jamali’s confidence vote on Dec 30

Pakistan's new civilian Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who has a wafer-thin majority in Parliament, will seek a mandatory vote o...

Pakistan’s new civilian Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali, who has a wafer-thin majority in Parliament, will seek a mandatory vote of confidence on December 30.

The official APP news agency reported on Thursday that the date was decided at a meeting of Jamali’s Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-E-Azam (PML-QA) and its allied parties.

Doc jailed for treating Al Qaeda

LAHORE: Security agencies detained a prominent doctor from Lahore early today on suspicion he treated Taliban and other Islamic militants.
Security agents and FBI officials searched the home of Dr Javed Ahmad for at least two hours. Police in Lahore would not comment on the case. (Agencies)

Pakistan’s constitution requires the Prime Minister to face a vote of confidence in the National Assembly, the lower house of Parliament, within 60 days of taking the post. Jamali was elected Prime Minister on November 21 on a thin majority, winning 172 votes out of 328 cast.

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Meanwhile, police today arrested nine suspected militants including three foreigners near the eastern city of Lahore, although it was not clear if they had links to Al Qaeda.

An intelligence source said the police raiding party included agents of the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and added satellite phones were discovered in the house raided overnight in a small village near the border with India.

In October, Pakistani authorities working with the FBI arrested a prominent orthopaedic surgeon, Amir Aziz, near Lahore on suspicions of helping Al Qaeda.