Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a crucial trust vote in the National Assembly past midnight on Saturday, becoming the first premier in the country's history to be removed through a no-confidence motion. Mr Khan, 69, was not present in the lower house at the time of voting. His party lawmakers staged a walkout.
The joint Opposition - a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties - secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the prime minister on a day full of drama and multiple adjournments of the lower house.
Here are the Highlights On Imran Khan's No-Trust Vote:
Shehbaz Sharif, Leader of the Opposition, is being considered a frontrunner to be Pakistan's next prime minister. He is little known outside Pakistan but has a reputation domestically as an effective administrator.
The joint Opposition - a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties - secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the prime minister on a day full of drama and multiple adjournments of the lower house.
Imran Khan has become the first Prime Minister of Pakistan to lose a no-trust vote. Today's vote that pushed out Mr Khan from the top post capped a dramatic week during which he sidestepped an initial no-confidence vote before.
Voting on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan has been concluded in the Pakistan National Assembly.
Pakistan Crisis: "Absolutely No Truth": US Rejects Imran Khan's "Foreign Conspiracy" ClaimThe US has bluntly rejected Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's allegations of a "foreign conspiracy" plotted in Washington to overthrow his government with the help of the Opposition parties, saying there is "absolutely no truth" to these claims.
If Imran Khan loses the trust vote, the next Prime Minister will be elected on April 11, reports Pak media.
Imran Khan Rejects Reports Claiming He Dismissed Pak Army ChiefPakistan's embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday night rejected reports that he had dismissed Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, amidst the raging political and constitutional crisis in the country over a no-confidence motion against him
Voting in the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government has begun.
Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser resigns ahead of no-trust vote against Imran Khan government.
Alert issued at all Pakistan airports, no government official can leave country without an NOC: Pak media reports
1hr left still no vote. Court orders violated. Constitution being broken for the second time. We have been here since 10am. For 10:30am session. Still haven't started agenda. pic.twitter.com/CmpvWwExXE
- BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) April 9, 2022
Pak PM Imran Khan Holds Emergency Cabinet Meeting, Vows Not To ResignPakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan held an emergency meeting of his Cabinet on Saturday night as he vowed not to resign and "fight till the last ball", even though his government is expected to lose a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly.
Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif asks the Pak assembly speaker to conduct voting in the no-confidence motion as mandated by the Supreme Court.
If the trust vote against the Imran Khan government is not held by midnight, the Supreme Court would be opened, reports local media.
Amidst the deadlock in Pakistan's Parliament on the no-confidence vote against embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan, his close aide on Saturday warned that those who bought MPs will be responsible if martial law is imposed in the country.
#LeftRightCentre | PTI spokesperson Abdul Samad Yaqoob admitted that Imran Khan and PTI were using 'delaying tactics'.
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
"If politics has fallen to this level, we must play at that level. No morality left at the moment", he says.#PakistanPoliticalCrisis pic.twitter.com/TW8neIGwsX
The crucial session of Pakistan's Parliament convened on Saturday in line with a landmark Supreme Court ruling to decide the fate of embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan witnessed multiple adjournments and heated arguments, but the voting on a no-confidence motion against him appeared to be a distant possibility before the end of the day.
The proceedings of the National Assembly's crucial session during which voting could take place on a no-confidence motion against embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was adjourned till 9.30 pm on Saturday, shortly after it resumed after Iftar break.
If Imran 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.
Imran Khan is the "first captain who is running from the pitch with wickets because he fears that he will lose the match," Pakistan Peoples Party Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said in the National Assembly on Saturday, as he asked the embattled Prime Minister to "show some sportsman spirit," before leaving office.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for a cabinet meeting at 9 pm local time today.
"Imran Khan wants to finish democracy": Pakistan Peoples Party Chief Bilawal Bhutto speaks in Pakistan Assembly pic.twitter.com/dHvC6Qwhrv
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto In Pak Parliament says Imran Khan is scared of fair elections. "Request you to follow the Supreme Court order and conduct the no-trust vote today," Mr Bhutto said in the Parliament.
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.
No-Trust Voting Expected To Be At 8pm Today
Pakistan's Opposition leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif on Saturday lashed out at Prime Minister Imran Khan for lavishing praise on India, saying he should go to the neighbouring country if he likes it so much.
The remarks of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam, who is the daughter of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, came after Khan called India a "nation with a great sense of honour".
Prime Minister Khan, in an address to the nation on Friday night ahead of the no-trust motion where he has little chances of surviving unless some miracle takes place, said that he was not against India and had a lot of following in the neighbouring country.
Not In His Senses Anymore, Pakistan Opposition Leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif On Imran Khan No Trust VotePakistan opposition leader Maryam Nawaz Sharif has criticised Imran Khan for trying to evade and sabotage the no-trust motion against him today. The Pakistan National Assembly that met this morning is yet to table to motion.
A maniac's fear of having to face the music has brought the entire country to a grinding halt & a complete standstill. The country of 22 crore is without a government for weeks now. This blatant violation of constitution and disregard to SC orders will be ugly & end badly.
- Maryam Nawaz Sharif (@MaryamNSharif) April 9, 2022
#PakistanPoliticalCrisis | "Yes, this is a part of their (government) delaying tactics... What they are trying to do is keep the verdict in their perspective": Mayed Ali, political analyst pic.twitter.com/Q2iE0eo1qs
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
#PakistanPoliticalCrisis | "Opposition leaders have met with Speaker of the National Assembly and are demanding to go for voting on the no-confidence motion," says @Waqas_Azeem, senior reporter, 24 News, Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/qXhyjTQwa0
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
Pakistan National Assembly has not reconvened yet.
The Pakistan national assembly was adjourned for one-and-a-half hours after it met for the crucial session during which the Imran Khan government will face a no-confidence vote. The Pakistan PM was not in the House when it met.
#PakistanPoliticalCrisis | "We are also hearing that there could be a last googly that is in his (#ImranKhan) hat and could be played out at any moment": @YusraSAskari, Pakistan journalist pic.twitter.com/OeoE2BT9lk
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
#PakistanPoliticalCrisis | "They (government) are using delaying tactics to prolong the session of National Assembly," says @Waqas_Azeem, senior reporter, 24 News, Islamabad. pic.twitter.com/M9ZhVZoXeJ
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
#WeStandWithImranKhan #امپورٹڈ_حکومت_نامنظور pic.twitter.com/W0sKcHPLZY
- Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) April 8, 2022
Pakistan federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said that voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan's government could be shifted to next week.
Pak National Assembly adjourned till 12:30 pm ahead of no-trust vote against Imran Khan
#NewsAlert | "I hope you (Speaker) will carry out today's proceedings of the House as per the order of Supreme Court. I urge you to stand for the Constitution and law": Shehbaz Sharif, leader of Opposition in Pakistan National Assembly pic.twitter.com/dOdrwSzCVr
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
Pakistan Political Crisis: Parliament session begins; opposition insists on no-trust vote, government wants to delay
National Assembly session begins with Speaker @AsadQaiserPTI in chair.#NASession @PTVNewsOfficial @GovtofPakistan
- National Assembly of Pakistan🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) April 9, 2022
#WATCH Security deployed outside the Pakistan National Assembly in Islamabad on the day of no-confidence vote against PM Imran Khan pic.twitter.com/3teEKzMFpX
- ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2022
Voting on no-trust motion can shift to next week, Federal Minister for Information and Law Fawad Chaudhry, reports Pakistan's Geo News
- ANI (@ANI) April 9, 2022
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan to face trust vote in Parliament today
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
NDTV's Kadambini Sharma reports pic.twitter.com/NqAIHx3SIh
Ahead Of Trust Vote Today, #ImranKhan Warns Of "Imported Government"
- NDTV (@ndtv) April 9, 2022
Read more: https://t.co/qzAswNTuDa pic.twitter.com/KHv76BVRy4
Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party 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 also indicated that they would cross the floor.
Lauding India as "khuddar quam" (very self-respecting people), Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that no superpower can dictate terms to the neighbouring country, admitting that both New Delhi and Islamabad do not share a good relationship.
"Indians are khuddar quam (very self-respecting people). No superpower can dictate terms to India," he said on Friday during his national address on the eve of a controversial no-confidence vote that looks certain to dismiss him.
He added: "I'm disappointed that only due to RSS ideology and what is done with Kashmir we don't have a good relation."
Raising the foreign hand charge again, Imran Khan said both India and Pakistan got their independence together but Islamabad gets used as tissue paper and thrown away by the hand of foreign forces.
"No Superpower Can Dictate Terms To India": Imran Khan's Top QuotesPrime Minister Imran Khan addressed Pakistan late Friday evening, on the eve of a controversial no-confidence vote that looks certain to dismiss him. Raising the foreign hand charge again, Mr Khan said no superpower can dicate terms to India.
