Imran Khan: No Prime Minister has ever seen out a full term in Pakistan since its inception.
Local news reports show extraordinary scenes of political turmoil in Islamabad as the no-confidence vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is underway after a dragged out, dramatic assembly session.
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Amid high drama regarding the no-trust vote against PM Imran Khan, the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly have resigned. The Supreme Court and the Islamabad High Court have also been opened in anticipation of a midnight contempt hearing. PM Khan has reportedly announced in the cabinet meeting that he won't resign.
According to local media news reports, a prisoner van has reached the assembly amid speculations that the Speaker and Deputy Speaker could be arrested if the vote is not held by midnight as ordered by the Supreme Court. Security has been heightened at airports and an alert issued saying no senior state functionary or government official to leave the country without a No Objection Certificate (NOC), reports say.
Opposition leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President, slammed the government in a series of tweets, even calling for the arrest of Imran Khan, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker. Another opposition leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari alleged that PM Khan was trying to create a constitutional crisis and seeking military intervention in the country's political affairs by delaying voting on the no-confidence motion.
Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government today failed to file in time a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its decision to set aside the deputy speaker's decision on no-trust vote. It will be now filed on Monday.
Mr Khan's ruling PTI effectively lost the majority in the assembly earlier this month when a key coalition partner said its seven lawmakers would vote with the opposition. More than a dozen lawmakers from the ruling party indicated they would cross over.
The opposition says it has more than 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly, which needs a quarter of members present for a quorum. It has alleged that the government is trying to delay the no-trust vote.
Calling on the people of Pakistan to protect the country's sovereignty, Prime Minister Khan last night asked the people to hit the streets on Sunday and peacefully protest against an "imported government".
"We got to know that US diplomats were meeting our people. Then we got to know about the entire plan," he said, adding that he is not at the liberty to publicly release all the details owing to national security concerns.
PM Khan said foreign powers want a pliable PM and that's why they are trying to push him out. He has called the political situation an attack on the sovereignty of Pakistan. "We are 22 crore people. It is insulting that someone from outside is ordering this to 22 crore people," he said.
The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a move by PM Khan to block a parliamentary vote seeking to oust him. The dismissal of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was "unconstitutional", the Pakistan Supreme Court said. It reconstituted the national assembly and ordered the Speaker to call a session. If Mr Khan loses, the opposition could nominate its own Prime Minister and hold power until August 2023, by which date fresh elections have to be held.
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