Pakistan parliament to try again on vote to remove PM Imran Khan
Prime Minister Imran Khan looks certain to be kicked out of office by a no-confidence vote in parliament, ordered by the Supreme Court.
- Pakistan’s parliament is set to vote on a no-confidence motion moved by the opposition to remove Imran Khan as prime minister, days after he blocked a similar attempt.
- A defiant Khan says he is in a fight to protect the country’s sovereignty and has called his supporters to the streets to defy opponents determined to unseat him.
- Khan acted unconstitutionally last Sunday in blocking the no-confidence vote and dissolving parliament, the Supreme Court ruled on Thursday, ordering parliament to reconvene.
- Opposition says it has the 172 votes in the 342-seat National Assembly needed to unseat Khan, after several ruling party members and a small but key coalition partner defected.
Here are the latest updates:
Deputy speaker defends blocking April 3 no-trust vote
Parliament’s deputy speaker has defended his ruling which blocked the opposition’s no-confidence motion on April 3.
“How can you overlook direct attack on the state?” Qasim Suri told Geo TV, claiming he did not violate the constitution by his move, which was overturned by the Supreme Court on Thursday.
“The entire nation felicitated me and I am proud of my ruling,” Suri said. “The entire nation is still with Imran Khan”.
Khan’s PTI wants probe into ‘foreign conspiracy’
Before the National Assembly session was adjourned, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi in his address referred to an alleged “foreign conspiracy” to topple the government.
Qureshi said the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party wants a probe into the diplomatic cable in which a foreign country had threatened Pakistan.
Khan has accused the United States of conspiring with the opposition to remove him.
Speaker adjourns National Assembly session
The National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has adjourned the meeting of the house until 12:30 pm (0730 GMT) amid protest by the opposition leaders.
The house was adjourned after Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, in his response to Shehbaz Sharif’s address, raised the issue of a “letter” the ruling party claims to have, proving a “foreign conspiracy” behind the opposition’s bid to remove Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Shehbaz urges speaker to hold no-trust vote
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) president Shehbaz Sharif has urged the parliament’s speaker to hold a vote on the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition.
“The Supreme Court declared steps taken by you and Prime Minister Khan as unconstitutional, so please hold a vote as per the court ruling,” he said.
“It is the moment and you must catch this moment with conviction and don’t follow a selected prime minister,” he said.
In response, Speaker Asad Qaiser said, “I have read the Supreme Court decision and will follow that in letter and spirit but we want to have a discussion on a ‘foreign conspiracy’.”
Crucial parliament session starts
The crucial meeting of the National Assembly has started, with Speaker Asad Qaiser presiding over the session.
Orders of the day for the session of the National Assembly to be held on Saturday, the 9th April, 2022 at 10:30 a.m.#NASession @appcsocialmedia @PTVNewsOfficial @PTV_Parliament @demp_gov @GovtofPakistan pic.twitter.com/5l6UlSHvN8
— National Assembly of Pakistan🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) April 8, 2022
PTI may try to delay voting: Opposition
PML-N leader Rana Sanaullah says his party fears the government will try to delay the voting through a discussion on the alleged foreign conspiracy against Imran Khan.
“Though they (government) will try to delay, the Supreme Court ruling had make it mandatory to hold the crucial vote today,” Sanaullah told reporters.
Parliament put under tight security
Special security arrangements have been made for the crucial session of the National Assembly as security staff deny entries of those without a security pass.
Many journalists and guests of legislators who were not issued passes for Saturday’s session were denied entry into the building, local Geo TV reports.
Opposition to meet before crucial session
Legislators and leaders of various political parties have started arriving in the parliament building for the crucial session that is scheduled to start at 10:30 am local time (0530 GMT).
Before the session, the opposition parties which have moved a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan will meet to discuss their strategy in the house.
D-Day: Grand Opposition assemble here. #NoConfidenceMotionVote pic.twitter.com/DZTCRMrdtH
— Zahid Gishkori (@ZahidGishkori) April 9, 2022
Khan calls for street rallies in his support
In an impassioned televised address to the nation on the eve of a no-confidence vote in parliament, Khan urged Pakistanis – particular the country’s young who have been the backbone of his support since the former cricket star-turned-politician came to power in 2018 – to rally countrywide on Sunday night.
“All of you will have to come out on Sunday after evening prayer to protest, to peacefully protest … I again say that should never indulge in violence,” he said.
“It should be a peaceful protest.”
