ISLAMABAD: The crucial National Assembly session to vote on the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan in line with the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan was adjourned till 12:30pm, ARY News reported.
The session of the lower house started at 10:30 am under the chairmanship of NA Speaker Asad Qaiser.
The voting no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan is also on the agenda. The no-trust motion is at the fourth position in the six-point agenda.
The joint opposition needs the support of at least 172 lawmakers from a total of 342 to oust the premier through the no-trust move.
Following the recitation of the Holy Quran and national anthem, the speaker allowed the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif to begin his speech.
Speaking on the floor of NA, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in the country’s history when the Supreme Court rejected the deputy speaker’s ruling.
“SC decision had made Pakistan’s future bright,” he said and urged the speaker to conduct the session as per the order of the apex court as its directions were clear.
Responding to Shehbaz, Asad Qaiser assured the opposition leader that he would conduct proceedings according to the law and the Constitution.
“The foreign conspiracy against PM Imran-led PTI govt should also be discussed in today’s NA session,” the speaker said while interrupting the opposition leader.
This prompted PML-N leader Shehbaz Sharif to tell the speaker that he would be violating the court’s directives by delaying voting in no-trust motion.
Asad Qaiser again assured that SC’s orders will be followed in true letter and spirit.
After Shehbaz’s speech, Speaker Asad Qaiser handed over the floor to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
The foreign minister began his speech by acknowledging that the joint opposition had the right to table a no-trust motion against the prime minister. “Defending no-trust motion against the prime minister is our obligation.”
Qureshi said the treasury benches intend to fight the no-trust motion in a constitutional, political and democratic manner.
Qureshi said that Pakistan’s history is full of Constitutional violations and on October 12, 1999, the Constitution was blatantly violated.
The foreign minister reiterated that the opposition had been demanding fresh elections for the last four years; and when PM Imran Khan suggested that people should decide the country’s fate, the opposition started staging drama and running away from general elections.
Qureshi was of the view that the cable was presented before National Security Committee (NSC) and the meeting concluded that it was a sensitive matter.
Detailing the decisions taken in the NSC meeting, Qureshi said the national security committee acknowledged that there was interference in Pakistan’s internal matters and a demarche must be issued. “The Foreign Office issued demarches followed NSC directives,” he added.
At this point, the lower house echoed with protests from the opposition benches. Amid the uproar, the speaker adjourned the NA session till 12:30pm.
SC verdict
On Thursday, a five-judge larger bench of the apex court, headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, passed a unanimous judgement that declared the events of April 3, including the NA deputy speaker’s ruling on the no-trust motion and the subsequent dissolution of the assembly, to be contrary to the constitution and of no legal effect.
Also Read: Full text of SC judgement in NA deputy speaker ruling case
The top court ordered the National Assembly (NA) speaker to summon a session of the lower house of Parliament on April 9, Saturday to hold voting on the no-trust motion.
The court directed the government not to stop any lawmaker from taking part in the vote of the no-confidence motion.
‘Won’t accept imported govt’
Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan on Friday said he is saddened by the decision of the Supreme Court (SC) regarding nullifying the ruling of deputy speaker NA.
In his address to the nation, PM Imran Khan said Supreme Court should have seen the letter regarding ‘foreign conspiracy to topple my government before giving its decision.
“I respect the Supreme Court and the judiciary, but the apex court should have looked at the threat letter before issuing the verdict,” PM Imran Khan said.
Read More: PM IMRAN KHAN SAYS WON’T ACCEPT ‘IMPORTED’ GOVT, ANNOUNCES PROTEST
PM Imran Khan further said that the decision on Article 63 (A), regarding horse-trading, also added to his disappointment. PM Imran Khan said the consciences of the MNAs are openly being bought in the country but no one is taking action on it.
PM Imran Khan regretted how a US official threatened a state of 220 million people were directed to follow the direction through a no-confidence motion.
Lettergate
Earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he had a letter that carried evidence of a foreign conspiracy to topple his government.
According to the letter, problems for Pakistan will increase, if the no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan fails. “We are not happy, everything will be fine, only when the no-trust motion passes.”
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