Pakistan PM Imran Khan addresses the nation on Friday. (Photo: Instagram)Imran Khan No-Trust Vote Live: Pakistan’s National Assembly will Saturday vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. As the House met this morning, the Speaker adjourned proceedings till 12.30 pm (1 pm IST) following which the motion will be taken up for voting.
Speaker Asad Qaiser is chairing the session which began at 10:30 am and the no-confidence vote against the PM is the fourth item on the agenda of the Assembly. Taking the floor, Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in the country’s history when the Supreme Court rejected the deputy speaker’s ruling that a no-confidence motion against the PM could not be permitted.
“We are not a nation that can be used like tissue papers,” Khan said. “They (Opposition) want to get rid of the corruption cases registered against them. People should come out of their houses to protest against the foreign-funded drama and I will be there with you as I will never accept this conspiracy against Pakistan,” the PM added. He also cited the example of India as a “self-respecting nation” (khuddar qaum) which no world power can dictate terms to. If Imran Khan loses the vote or resigns before it, a new government would be formed most likely under opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives to attend a military parade to mark Pakistan National Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (AP/File)
Speaking during the session, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi accepted that according to the Constitution, it is the right of the Opposition to submit a no-confidence motion, while it is the government’s responsibility to defend itself against it. Citing PM Imran Khan’s April 8 address to the nation, he said that to honour the Constitution is the responsibility of all Pakistanis and “just as the PM said, although we are disappointed with Supreme Court’s judgment, we still abide by the verdict.”
Leader of Opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday told the speaker to conduct the session as per the order of the Supreme Court and said that the Opposition will oust the "selected" prime minister by adopting a lawful and constitutional procedure. Sharif called on the speaker to conduct proceedings in accordance with the court's directives, stating that parliament would be writing history today. “Today, parliament is going to defeat a selected prime minister in a constitutional manner,” he declared. Sharif told the speaker to let bygones be bygones and to stand for the law and the Constitution. He urged the speaker to play his role and to have his name "written in history in golden words". “You must cash in on this moment with conviction and with your heart and your mind. Don't go on the dictation of the selected prime minister,” he urged Qaiser, adding that the apex court's directives were clear.
The National Assembly session to decide the fate of Prime Minister Imran Khan was adjourned till 12:30 pm (1 pm IST). Speaker Asad Qaiser is chairing the session which began at 10:30 am and the no-confidence vote against the PM is the fourth item on the agenda of the Assembly.
The National Assembly session to decide the fate of Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently underway. The no-confidence motion against the PM will be moved by Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif soon. Speaker Asad Qaiser is chairing the session which began at 10:30 am and the no-confidence vote against the PM is the fourth item on the agenda of the Assembly. Taking the floor, Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in the country’s history when the Supreme Court rejected the deputy speaker's ruling that a no-confidence motion against the PM could not be permitted.
Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, and different MNAs were seen arriving at the National Assembly as the no-confidence vote against PM Imran Khan is scheduled to start shortly.
After Imran Khan praised India during his address hours before a no-confidence vote, former Pakistan Prime Minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz told him to leave Pakistan and move to India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faces a no-confidence vote in parliament on Saturday which he is widely expected to lose. If that happens, or he resigns before then, a new government would be formed most likely under opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, but it was unclear how long it could last or whether elections expected to take place later this year would bring greater clarity.
The nation of more than 220 million people lies between Afghanistan to the west, China to the northeast and India to the east, making it of vital strategic importance. Since coming to power in 2018, Khan’s rhetoric has become more anti-American and he expressed a desire to move closer to China and, recently, Russia – including talks with President Vladimir Putin on the day the invasion of Ukraine began. Read our Explainer to understand what the upheaval, which comes as the economy is in deep trouble, means for countries closely involved in Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Iran Khan, while addressing the nation late Friday ahead of today’s no-confidence vote, said that he will not tolerate the installation of a “foreign government” in Pakistan and that he will turn to the public for support if such a thing happens. “We are not a nation that can be used like tissue papers,” Khan said. “They (Opposition) want to get rid of the corruption cases registered against them. People should come out of their houses to protest against the foreign-funded drama and I will be there with you as I will never accept this conspiracy against Pakistan,” the PM added. He also cited the example of India as a “self-respecting nation” (khuddar qaum) which no world power can dictate terms to.
Good Morning and welcome to our coverage of the political crisis that is brewing in Pakistan. With the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan going up for a vote at 10 am today, follow this space for the latest news and updates regarding the matter.
Stating that the responsibility to protect the nation’s sovereignty lies with its citizens, Imran Khan called upon the people to take to streets on Sunday to protest against the Supreme Court verdict.
Repeating his allegation that a US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan, Imran Khan said he will not accept an “imported government”.
Highlighting India’s foreign policy, Khan said he is “in awe of the functioning of the neighbouring country which does not allow any foreign power to influence its decisions.” He added that “no superpower can dictate terms to India.” Imran Khan was referring to India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war with New Delhi buying oil from Moscow despite pressure from the United States.
Shehbaz Sharif, the person most likely to be Pakistan's next prime minister, is little known outside his home country but has a reputation domestically as an effective administrator more than as a politician.
The younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz, 70, is leading a bid by the opposition in parliament to topple Imran Khan, and if a vote of no-confidence goes ahead on Saturday he is widely expected to replace Khan.
Analysts say Shehbaz, unlike Nawaz, enjoys amicable relations with Pakistan's military, which traditionally controls foreign and defence policy in the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million people. (Reuters)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chairs a meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Islamabad, reports Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. (ANI)
Pakistan's lower house of parliament has been convened for Saturday to hold a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, a notification said on Friday.The session will start at 10:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT), and the vote is the fourth point on the agenda, brought by the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif. (Reuters)
A member of Pakistan's government denounced on Friday a Supreme Court decision to quash an attempt by Prime Minister Imran Khan to block a no-confidence vote against him, saying the court's ruling was akin to a 'judicial coup'.
"A judicial coup happened last night ... ending parliamentary supremacy!" Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said on Twitter.
Mazari also suggested that Khan and his allies would fight on. "The long shadows hanging over this judicial decision think the game has been won but frankly it has just started," she said.
A group of prominent Pakistani dissidents Friday welcomed the ruling of their country's Supreme Court ruling, restoring its elected parliament after its "unlawful" dissolution by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Pakistan Supreme Court has ruled on the right side of history by upholding the Constitution of Pakistan, South Asians Against Terrorism and for Human Rights (SAATH), a pro-democracy outfit of Pakistanis said. "This is also the time when all institutions of the state look back at the debris of the last four years," it said in a statement. SAATH said while the latest Supreme Court judgment is a positive step it is also important that "the horrendous practice of 'disappearing' people should end".
Prominent members of SAATH include former Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Member of Parliament Mohsin Dawar, former ambassadors Husain Haqqani and Kamran Shafi, former editor of Daily Times Rashed Rahman, columnist Mohammed Taqi, journalists Taha Siddiqui, Gul Bukhari and Marvi Sirmed, and activists Gulalai Ismail, Tahira Jabeen, Shahzad Irfan and Farhan Kaghzi. (PTI)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that he would address the nation on Friday evening after his government suffered a setback following the Supreme Court's decision.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday restored the National Assembly after it declared the government's decision to dissolve the assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri's ruling against the Constitution.
Khan said a meeting of the PTI's parliamentary committee would also be convened on Friday and he would "continue to fight for Pakistan till the last ball". (PTI)
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is due to address the nation on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled he acted unconstitutionally in blocking an attempt to oust him - a decision that could end his premiership in days.
Last Sunday, political allies of the former cricket star dissolved parliament to thwart an opposition no-confidence vote Khan had been expected to lose after coalition partners deserted him to rob him of a majority.
The Supreme Court ruled late on Thursday that Khan's manoeuvre was unconstitutional, ordering that parliament be reconvened by Saturday and for the no-confidence motion to go ahead as planned.
The court ruling is the latest twist in a crisis that has threatened political and economic stability in the nuclear-armed country of 220 million people, with the rupee currency hitting all-time lows on Thursday and foreign exchange reserves tumbling. (Reuters)