Imran Khan ducks no-confidence vote in Pakistan, calls for early election

Had the voting taken place, it would have been the first time that a prime minister of the country had been removed through a parliamentary process, as the Opposition had collected 197 parliamentarians in favour of the motion, including more than 20 rebels from Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), and 25 more than the 172 required for winning the vote in the 342-member house.

But the vote was not held as Suri dismissed it as “unconstitutional” and prorogued the National Assembly.

Minutes later, Khan blindsided the Opposition once again by dissolving the National Assembly and asking people to “prepare for another election”. He also congratulated the nation on their victory against an alleged “foreign conspiracy for regime change” in Pakistan. On Khan’s advice, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhary said on Twitter that the Cabinet had been dissolved as well and that Prime Minister Imran Khan would continue in office. The Constitution requires elections to be held within 90 days of the Assembly being dissolved.

“Prepare for elections. No corrupt forces will decide what the future of the country will be. When the assemblies will be dissolved, the procedure for the next elections and the caretaker government will begin,” Khan said in his national address.

However, it is unclear how long Khan’s reprieve will last. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has taken suo motu cognisance of the proceedings in the National Assembly, and a three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial held a first hearing of the matter on Sunday in view of the urgency of the matter.

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— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) April 3, 2022

Opposition parties had wanted a stay on the decisions by the Speaker and the Prime Minister, which the court did not grant but said all decisions would be subject to the court’s order. The case will be heard again on Monday.

At the very least, Imran Khan has bought himself some time. If the court does not restore the Assembly, elections must be held within 90 days of the dissolution.

With the Opposition crying foul, Khan tweeted, “Astonished by reaction of PDM [Opposition combine of Pakistan Democratic Movement] to our calling for general elections. They have been crying hoarse abt how our govt has failed & lost support of the ppl so why the fear of elections now? Democrats go to the ppl for support… Isn’t it better for PDM to accept elections rather than being part of a foreign conspiracy for regime change; and indulging in blatant purchasing of loyalties thereby destroying our nation’s moral fibre?”

The Speaker was already under a cloud for not convening the Assembly on time — within 15 days of the submission of the no-confidence motion. While March 22 was the last date, the Speaker convened the Assembly only on March 25, thereafter postponing discussions on it twice.

Former Pakistan PM and PML(Nawaz) leader Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shehbaz said Khan and all others involved in the “conspiracy” should be tried on charges of treason for subverting the constitutional process.

“Today, a man obsessed with power trampled the Constitution,” Nawaz Sharif, who has lived in London since the beginning of 2021, tweeted. Shehbaz was widely tipped as among the favourites to form a new government after Khan’s ouster.

After the prorogation of the House, a defiant and angry Opposition held its own “session” in the Assembly, racking up 197 votes in favour of the no-confidence, 25 more than required in the 342-member house.

Members ‘voted’ by the torchlight from their mobile phones as the lights in the Assembly were switched off for a few minutes before coming on again.

Earlier, the Deputy Speaker dismissed the no-confidence motion under Article 5 of the Constitution, which demands loyalty to the state in its first clause, and obedience to the Constitution in its second clause.

Quoting the first clause, Information Minister Chaudhary urged Suri to decide first on the constitutionality of the motion, alleging it was driven by “a foreign conspiracy” to bring about “regime change” in Pakistan. Suri accepted the contention immediately, and dismissed the motion.

The Pakistan Army, whose estrangement from Imran Khan is no secret, hurriedly issued a statement saying it has no role to play in Sunday’s developments. “Absolutely not,” said Major General Babbar Ifthikar, when asked by Geo News if it had been involved in any way.

At a speech on Saturday, Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa tried to steer clear of any mention of the raging political battle. As he spoke about conflicts in the region and the world, pushing back against Khan’s foreign policy choices and his anti-US rhetoric, Bajwa sought to project the image of a leader with more pressing concerns, including repairing relations with the US and resolving outstanding issues with India “through dialogue and diplomacy”.

Around the same time as the high drama in the National Assembly, the Punjab Assembly, which the PTI is trying to retain through its ally Pakistan Muslim League (Q), was also adjourned, triggering another round of allegations by the PML(N), which has an apparent majority in the House.