Today, the Pakistan parliament was to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. Accordingly, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had called the national assembly session on March 31 at 11.30 am.
In the 342-member National Assembly, the opposition parties had claimed the support of 177 members, five more than the numbers to vote out PM Imran Khan. The opposition had blamed Khan for the country’s economic woes and had called for his ouster.
However, in a quick turn of events in succession, the Deputy Speaker rejected the no-confidence motion as unconstitutional. While congratulating the decision of the Deputy Speaker, PM Imran Khan called the trust vote a foreign conspiracy (hatched by the US) against his government.
Further, writing to the President to dissolve the assemblies, he called Pakistanis to prepare for fresh elections democratically. In his televised address, PM Imran Khan said, “The public decides who they want in power.”
It is learned that heeding the advice from PM Imran Khan, Pakistan’s President has dissolved the National assembly. Decrying the parliament’s decision to cancel the no-confidence motion, the opposition parties have decided to stage a sit-in protest at the parliament and move to the Supreme Court.
However, there seems to be a twist with the opposition-only session inside the Parliament appointing Shehbaz Sharif as the new PM of Pakistan.
Image Source: Reuters