Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan shocked the Opposition by advising President Arif Alvi to dissolve National Assembly and call for fresh elections. Mr Khan's announcement came after Deputy Speaker dismissed the no-confidence motion against him.
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In a short address to the nation, Imran Khan asked the people of Pakistan to "Get ready for elections". "The conspiracy to take down this government has collapsed," he added.
National Assembly Deputy Speaker Sadiq Sanjrani dissolved the house alleging "foreign conspiracy" and said that no-trust motion was " unconstitutional".
"This day will be remembered as a black day in Pakistan's constitutional history," said Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), who had been tipped to replace Khan if the vote had succeeded.
Imran Khan has accused the US of meddling in Pakistan's affairs and alleged that the opposition was conspiring with Washington to remove him because he would not take the side of the US and Europe on global issues against Russia and China.
Last week, Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party effectively lost majority in the 342-member assembly last week 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.
