Imran Khan loses premiership as opposition succeeds in no-confidence motion
Pakistan
174 members voted in favor of no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Opposition parties in the National Assembly on Sunday defeated the ruling PTI government in the no-confidence resolution they jointly moved against Prime Minister Imran Khan with 174 votes, setting a new precedent in parliamentary history of the country for in-house change through a democratic and constitutional manner.
In the 341-seat House (excluding a seat that fell vacant due to demise of MNA Khayal Zaman Orakzai), the unified opposition secured 174 votes after Member of Panel of Chairpersons Ayaz Sadiq asked for the simple division in favour and against the resolution for physical-count of the members.
The resolution, carrying names of 152 movers, was presented by Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif on March 28 under Article 95(1) of the Constitution, read with rule 37 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly, 2007 that stated “This House is of the view that the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mr. Imran Khan, has lost the confidence of the majority of the members of the National Assembly of Pakistan, therefore he should cease to hold office.”
Since the opposition parties submitted the no-trust move with the National Assembly Secretariat on March 8, the opposition parties had been claiming a majority to defeat the government on this front, which they practically demonstrated today.
It is the first-ever succeeding no-confidence motion in parliamentary history of Pakistan through which a sitting prime minister has been removed as in the past two such moves had failed.
The first resolution was moved in 1989 against the then prime minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto and the second in 2006 to oust PM Shaukat Aziz, but they both had survived the vote.
SHEHBAZ SHARIF SPEAKS
After making the announcement regarding the success of no-confidence against Imran Khan, Ayaz Sadiq gave the floor to Shehbaz Sharif.
Shehbaz paid tribute to all leaders part of the joint opposition, and vowed that the "new regime would not indulge in politics of revenge".
"I don t want to go back to bitterness of the past. We want to forget them and move forward. We will not take revenge or do injustice; we will not send people to jail for no reason, law and justice will take its course," Shehbaz said.
Shehbaz said this might be the first time in Pakistan that the country’s daughters and sisters were sent to prison, but maintained that he wanted to forget the past and move forward.
"When the time comes, we will speak in detail, but we want to heal the wounds of the nation; we will not send innocent people to jails, and we will not take revenge," Shabaz said, noting that the law will take its course without interference.
"Neither I, nor Bilawal, nor will Maulana Fazlur Rehman interfere. Law will be upheld and we will respect the judiciary," Shehbaz said.
BILAWAL BHUTTO SPEAKS
After Shehbaz, Bilawal took the floor and congratulated the house for passing a no-trust resolution against a premier for the first time in history.
"On April 10,1973, this house approved the Constitution. On April 10, 1986, Benazir Bhutto ended her exile and returned to Lahore for her struggle against Gen Ziaul Haq," Bilawal recalled.
"Today is April 10, 2022, and the one we had declared selected, the non-democratic burden this country was bearing for the past 3 years, today, April 10, 2022, welcome back to purana (old) Pakistan."
The lawmaker from Larkana said that he had joined the National Assembly only three to four years ago, adding that whatever he has learned during this time is probably more than he had learnt throughout his life.
“I have a message for the Pakistani youth that they should never give up on their dreams as nothing is impossible. Democracy is the best revenge. Pakistan Zindabad,” said Bilawal.
ASAD QAISER QUITS AS SPEAKER
Earlier, Asad Qaiser had stepped down from post of National Assembly speaker and PML-N leader Ayaz Sadiq conducted the voting on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
“I have decided to resign as speaker of the National Assembly,” said Asad Qaiser while chairing the lower house of the parliament.
Qaiser said that he had received "important documents" from the cabinet, which he invited the leader of the opposition and the Chief Justice of Pakistan to see.
"In line with our laws and the need to stand for our country, I have decided that I can t remain on the position of speaker and thereby resign," he said. "Because this is a national duty and it is the Supreme Court s decision, I will ask the panel chairman Ayaz Sadiq to run the session," Qaiser said.
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired the session which began at 10:30am sharp, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives, and with the recitation of the Holy Quran. It was followed by the national anthem and Fatiha.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has arrived in the Parliament House and security outside his chamber has also been beefed up. Meanwhile, the PM has also called senior journalists to the Prime Minister’s Residence.
Shehbaz Sharif
At the beginning of Shehbaz’s speech, several of the PTI MNAs started interrupting his speech by chanting slogans.
Shehbaz told the speaker to conduct the session as per the order of the Supreme Court and added that today, the Opposition will oust the "selected" prime minister by adopting a lawful and constitutional procedure.
He also thanked the opposition leadership for struggling against the erroneous ruling, the fruits of which the country was seeing.
Opposition leader asked the Speaker to conduct proceedings in accordance with the SC’s directives.
Shehbaz told the speaker to let bygones be bygones and to stand for the law and the Constitution. He urged the speaker to play his role and to have his name "written in history in golden words".
"You must cash in on this moment with conviction and with your heart and your mind. Don’t go on the dictation of the selected prime minister," he urged Qaiser, adding that the apex court’s directives were clear.
Responding to Shehbaz’s earnest plea, Qaiser assured the opposition leader that he would conduct proceedings according to the law and the Constitution. "[But] the important thing is that there has been talk of an international conspiracy. This should also be discussed," he said.
This prompted Shehbaz to tell the speaker that he would be violating the court’s directives if he would go down that road. He also read out the court’s directives regarding the convening of the session.
"Under the court’s directives, you are bound to take up this agenda item and no other item. That is the intent of the order and you cannot deviate from it," he said, calling on the speaker to hold voting on the motion forthwith.
"The SC’s orders will be followed in true letter and spirit," Qaiser replied, giving the floor to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
Shah Mahmood Qureshi
The foreign minister began by acknowledging that the opposition had the right to table a no-trust motion against the prime minister, but said that defending it was his obligation. "We intend to fight it in constitutional, political and democratic manner," he asserted.
Talking about violations of constitution, he said that it was obligatory "on us to respect the Constitution".
"Pakistan’s history is full of violations of constitution," he said, adding that the doctrine of necessity should have been buried. "I am happy that Pakistan’s democracy has evolved and that we all are not ready to take its support," he added.
"Today is Saturday and the session has started at 10:30am. The court said the session will not be prorogued unless the process of Article 95 and rule 37 is concluded," he said.
However, it is important to present the context under which the court directed to summon the session again. He said that the clock was turned back and the apex court unanimously dismissed the April 3 ruling.
The minister said that the prime minister went to the people by dissolving the assembly, adding that the opposition had been calling for early polls for close to four years.
He reiterated that the government had accepted the court’s decision but questioned why the opposition parties went to the court and why the SC took suo motu notice. "The ruling the deputy speaker gave when he was chairing the session and he did not reject the constitutional process. He said a new situation had surfaced and that it should be probed in its light."
Qureshi added that the National Security Committee (NSC), one of the country’s top forums, had seen the cable and concluded that it was a sensitive matter.
"The NSC took two decisions. First, they acknowledged there were interference in Pakistan’s internal matters and that a demarche must be issued," he said, adding that the Foreign Office followed these directives.
"The second was to immediately summon the Parliamentary committee on National Security and for the matter to be presented before elected representatives so that they can get to the bottom of things."
Bilawal Bhutto
Bilawal, while addressing the House, told Amjad Khan Niazi he was violating the Constitution and the court’s order. "You cannot take up anything else except for what is on the agenda. Not only you, the speaker also did the same," he told him, demanding that voting is held on the no-confidence motion.
At this, Niazi told the PPP chairman that the court can’t intervene in parliamentary matters.
Bilawal replied by saying that Niazi would be disqualified for violating the law, adding that this was not the first time the court had set aside the speaker’s ruling.
Turning his guns on PM Imran, Bilawal said that the premier was breaking the law on his way out of office. "If you want to be involved in it, then it’s your choice. But I had warned the prime minister to stay away from the man speaking before me," he said, referring to the foreign minister.
The PPP chairman alleged that FM Qureshi was responsible for the premier’s troubles, again calling for a vote to be held on the no-confidence motion. "If you don’t come to today’s agenda, then you should know that the opposition will not leave [...] we will snatch our constitutional rights from you."
He said that the government had lost its majority in the assembly. "We can debate on the foreign conspiracy for 100 days but first conduct voting."
Asad Umar
Speaking in the National Assembly on a point of order, Minister for Planning, Development, and Special Initiatives Asad Umar said about 5.5 million jobs had been created, due to prudent policies of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government, during the last three years.
He said, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz during five years government had created about 5.7 jobs.
Sharing the achievements of his government on economic front, he said, that Pakistan achieved highest exports. He said the country had achieved over 5 percent growth rate during last two years, which was the highest in the last 15 years.
Criticizing the opposition parties for becoming part of a conspiracy being hitched by foreign powers against the elected government of PTI, he said people of Pakistan would never support the elements working against the interest of the country.
He said the government had decided to share contents of the threatening letter with the members of the Parliament, keeping in view the supremacy of the Parliament.
He regretted that leadership of the opposition had refused to attend the meeting of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security convened by the Speaker National Assembly. The minister once again invited the opposition parties for an in-camera briefing on the “Threat Letter” to the parliament.
He said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Imran Khan, had chosen to live with dignity and pride and not to compromise on the sovereignty of the country.
He asked opposition to work for strengthening and supremacy of the Parliament.
Asif Zardari
On the occasion, PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that except one person, they can talk to friends for the betterment of Pakistan.
The former president said that today is the voting day on the no-confidence motion and now there is no time for anything else but vote, vote and vote and nothing but the vote.
Asif Zardari said that where should I start the stories, from the General Umar in the East Pakistan or the Engro. But I will not do it. Imran Khan said that Asif Zardari is on the target of his gun. Imran is a hunter, a cricketer and also running the country. The friends on the treasury benches are talking about export figures. These figures of export I had left. The economy is going down. The State Bank raised the interest rates just two days ago. Just after the Supreme Court decision, the rupee got stronger and the stock market had strengthened.
The PPP co-chairman said that the PPP is the only party which has a political university and several members on the treasury benches have passed out from that university. They will understand soon and will come back to the PPP.
“I ask very humbly and with humility that you please start the voting process. I do not want to approach the court against you for violation its order. We talk about the betterment of the country so please conduct the voting so that we can progress further and Pakistan can also progress.”
Maryam slams govt
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz Sharif slammed the government in a series of tweets, even calling for the arrest of Imran Khan, the Speaker and the Deputy Speaker.
PMO Making Arrangements
Prime Minister Imran Khan’s office is making arrangements for the premier after he is ousted from power. Suitable security for the Ex-PM, details of protocol including checking security and cars will be issued by the government or internal ministry, the letter written by PMO officials said.
CJP orders opening court
Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Umar Atta Bandial has ordered staff to open court at midnight if the no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan is not held in the National Assembly, according to sources.
The doors of the top court has been opened and Chief Justice of Pakistan has also reached court.
Cabinet approves sharing threat letter with Senate chairman, CJP
The federal cabinet approved the threatening letter to be shared with the chairman senate, chief justice.
A special meeting of the Federal Cabinet was held under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Imran Khan. The meeting was held at the Prime Minister s House in which Pervaiz Khattak, Shireen Maazari, Murad Saeed, Shafqat Mahmood, Shaukat Tareen and others participated.
According to sources, the federal cabinet has approved to share the threatening letter with the Speaker National Assembly, Chairman Senate and Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Will fight till the last ball: PM Imran
Prime Minister Imran Khan during a meeting with senior journalists said that he will not give up in any case and will fight till the last ball.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister said that the country will not allow the enemies to succeed in any way. He said that he has apprised President Arif Alvi, Chief Justice Omar Ata Bandial and Chairman Senate Sadiq Sanjarani about the threatening letter.
Imran Khan said that global conspiracy for regime change would not succeed under any circumstances, adding that assembly proceedings will not be hampered in any way.
He went on to say that the threatening letter will also be presented to the Chief Justice, adding that he is alone but will fight for the nation.
Imran Khan again alleged that the opposition was getting external help to change the regime in the country. “I will go to public meetings every week,” he said and added the people are not in favor of a change of government in the country.
No-trust motion submitted against NA Deputy Speaker
Opposition has submitted the no-confidence motion against the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri.
The no-trust motion was submitted by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) leader and opposition member Murtaza javed Abbasi.
On April 3, NA deputy speaker Qasim Suri had rejected no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan declaring it against Article-5 of the constitution.
Full text of Supreme Court verdict on NA Deputy Speaker’s ruling
Supreme Court ruled on Thursday that the national assembly had been illegally dissolved, and ordered parliament to reconvene to hold a no-confidence vote that will likely see Prime Minister Imran Khan booted from office.
Khan asked the president to dissolve the assembly after the deputy speaker refused to allow a no-confidence vote against him on Sunday, but the Supreme Court said the action was illegal.
"All actions taken are of no legal effect and quashed," the court ruling said. "The national assembly continues to remain in session."
The decision was met with jubilation by some in the capital, with cars loaded with opposition supporters racing through the streets and sounding their horns.
