Pakistan PM Imran Khan addresses the nation on Friday. (Photo: Instagram)Pakistan Political Crisis News LIVE: Imran Khan lost the no-confidence vote against him in the Pakistan National Assembly in the wee hours of Sunday, thus becoming the first Prime Minister in the nation to be removed through the process. The National Assembly session, which began on Saturday 10. 30 am, was adjourned multiple times. The House will meet again on April 11 at 2 pm to elect the new Prime Minister. Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had resigned before the voting began.
Imran Khan, who was elected as the Prime Minister in 2018, faced a no-confidence vote largely on accusations of economic mismanagement. No Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office. Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government on Saturday had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court challenging its decision to declare the ruling of the deputy speaker to dismiss the no-confidence resolution against the prime minister as unconstitutional. The review petition, filed through Dr Babar Awan and Azhar Siddique, named the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Supreme Court Bar Association, Sindh High Court Bar Association and the Sindh Bar Council as respondents.
Imran Khan Friday accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict and urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the “new imported government” comes into power Sunday. In an address to the nation on the eve of a no-trust motion he has little chance of defeating, Khan, 69, cited the example of India as a “self-respecting nation” (khuddar qaum) which no world power can dictate terms to.
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan arrives to attend a military parade to mark Pakistan National Day in Islamabad, Pakistan, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (AP/File)
Pakistan’s cricketer-turned politician Imran Khan, who turned his shaky team into champions in the 1992 Cricket World Cup, failed to repeat the same charisma in politics where he was run out by a determined Opposition in the middle of his first innings.
Khan, who effectively lost majority in the 342-member National Assembly, dissolved Parliament and called for fresh election on April 3 after the deputy speaker blocked a no-confidence motion against him.
However, a five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial in a landmark 5-0 verdict on April 7 struck down the deputy speaker’s ruling and ordered the speaker to call a session on April 9 to organise the no-confidence vote. Read full report
It’s 10 April, 1973, that Pakistan’s parliament approved its Constitution. On April 10, Pakistan’s parliament passed the Opposition’s no-trust motion against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, with 174 members in the 342-strong house voting in favour of the resolution.
This meant that Imran Khan is no longer the Pakistan PM. From New Delhi’s perspective, here are important takeaways.
Pakistan’s democracy, a flawed one, is still a “guided democracy”. After a chaotic week of moving no-trust motions and Supreme Court judgements, the Pakistan parliament — after days of back and forth — was able to prevail and oust the incumbent government in Pakistan.
While this is the first time that a sitting PM in Pakistan has been voted out, that has been a normal occurrence in India. This means that democracy in Pakistan is gradually finding its feet. Read More
National Assembly proceedings were adjourned in the early hours of Sunday and the House will meet again on April 11 at 2 pm to elect the new premier after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed from office through a no-confidence vote.
Ayaz Sadiq of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, who was chairing the crucial session, said the nomination papers for the new prime minister may be submitted by 2 pm on Sunday and the scrutiny would be done by 3 pm.
He summoned the session on Monday at 11 am and said the new premier would be elected then. However, the National Assembly of Pakistan later informed on its official Twitter account that the House will meet at 2 pm. (PTI)
Imran Khan lost the no-confidence vote against him in the Pakistan National Assembly in the wee hours of Sunday. The National Assembly session, which began on Saturday 10. 30 am, was adjourned thrice.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan left his office premises following Speaker Asad Qaiser's resignation, Geo News reported.
Pakistani opposition political parties have introduced a no-confidence vote in parliament seeking the ouster of Prime Minister Imran Khan, largely on accusations of economic mismanagement.
The bid to oust Khan got a boost on Wednesday when a key government ally said it reached a pact with the opposition and then quit Khan’s ruling coalition.
Khan’s ouster is likely to bring another round of instability in the nuclear armed country, in which the military has a long record of intervening in politics. Read More
The National Assembly has started voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Geo News reported.
Pakistan Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy speaker Qasim Suri resigned before the voting of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Geo News reported quoting sources.
The National Assembly is expected to hold voting soon on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Geo News reported.
Pakistan's army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday met Prime Minister Imran Khan amid an impasse over a parliamentary vote to oust the premier, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Khan tried to block a no-confidence motion last week and dissolved the lower house of parliament, but Pakistan's top court ordered on Thursday the vote would have to be held by Saturday.The vote is yet to happen despite the passage of nearly 12 hours since the session started on Saturday. (Reuters)
The ruling PTI has submitted a reference against 20 deviant members to National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser as they aim to get dissident party members unseated. The reference against the members was filed under Article 63(A), Pakistan's Geo News reported.
Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari, speaking in the National Assembly, alleged that the US has an influence on Pakistan politics. "This has been the tradition of the United States. They have done the same in Iran, Iraq, Libya and Syria. In recent days, Biden has threatened Turkey and Russia. You go and beg from the United States, but this nation will not bow down," she was quoted as saying by Pakistani news media Dawn.
The National Assembly session, during which voting on a no-confidence motion against Imran Khan is to be held, has been adjourned yet again and is now expected to resume at 9:30 pm, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.
The session will likely continue till 12 am (local time), while PM Imran Khan has summoned a meeting of the federal cabinet at 9 pm, reports Pakistan's Geo News quoting National Assembly Secretariat sources.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Saturday told Parliament that the US national security adviser telephoned his Pakistani counterpart and "categorically asked us not to proceed with the Russia tour" of Prime Minister Imran Khan in February.
In a lengthy address to the National Assembly, ahead of a vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Khan, Qureshi talked major foreign policy issues, especially the alleged regime change being plotted by the US in Pakistan. "Today Pakistan is standing at a historic juncture and the people need to decide whether they want to live in an independent state or become slaves [to the West],” the 65-year-old politician said, acknowledging that today might be his last day as the foreign minister of Pakistan.
“As the foreign minister of Pakistan, I want to bring this to record that when the decision to visit Moscow was taken after due deliberation because of Pakistan's better future and was taken months before the Ukraine situation emerged,” he said, referring to the controversy generated by Prime Minister Khan's maiden visit to Russia for a meeting with President Vladimir Putin. (PTI)
The National Assembly session, which was adjourned on account of iftar and Maghrib prayers break, has resumed.
The National Assembly session has been adjourned till 7:30 pm on account of iftar and Maghrib prayers break, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.
Pakistan's I&B Minister Choudhary Fawad Hussain changes his Twitter account bio to former I&B minister ahead of voting on no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has summoned a meeting of his cabinet ministers late on Saturday night, even though his government is expected to lose the no-confidence motion scheduled to take place later in the evening, according to local media reports.
Khan has summoned the Cabinet Meeting at 9.00 PM at the Prime Ministers' House here. Important decisions are expected in the meeting, Geo News reported quoting high-level sources. However, the meeting has taken many by surprise as the no-confidence vote is expected to be completed by around 8.00 PM and Khan has little chance of surviving it. (PTI)
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.
The PPP Chairman trained his guns on Khan, who was conspicuous by his absence in the National Assembly, when the session began at 10.30 am on Saturday, in line with the landmark Supreme Court order.
“Imran Khan is not present in the Parliament because he cannot defend himself. Conspiracies against the constitution will not succeed,” he said, while adding that before Khan leaves his office, he should “show some sportsman spirit.” Bilawal told the Speaker Asad Qaiser that he was violating the Constitution and the court's order. (PTI)
The much-awaited voting on the no-confidence motion against embattled Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan is expected to take place after Iftar, the meal eaten after sunset during Ramzan to break the day's fast, a lawmaker from the Opposition PML-N party said in Parliament on Saturday. (PTI)
In his speech in parliament, former Pakistani president Asif Ali Zardari called for voting on the no-confidence motion against embattled PM Imran Khan, Dawn reported. According to the report, he lamented the devaluation of the rupee and the hike in interest rates by the country's central bank.
Paramilitary soldiers stand guard on a road leading to the parliament building in Islamabad, Pakistan. (Reuters)
PPP Chief Bilawal Bhutto in Pakistan parliament said that he "had warned PM Imran Khan to stay away from Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, or else he will trap him and he has trapped him", Dawn reported.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government led by Imran Khan has filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict on the Deputy Speaker’s ruling over the no-trust motion in the National Assembly, Pakistani newspaper Dawn reported.
Speaking in the National assembly, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi Saturday said the "US want to view Islamabad and India on different platforms." "They said that they look at India through lens of China," he said. He added that the PTI government "wants good relations with everyone and expand its diplomatic reach including with Russia and China."
Asserting that he was speaking as a Pakistani and not a PTI member, Qureshi urged the assembly to not push the country into a constitutional crisis. (PTV)
Pakistan's Opposition leader Maryam Nawaz 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.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam, who is the daughter of deposed prime minister Nawaz Sharif, also suggested that Khan should emulate the example of India where no prime minister has abrogated the Constitution while facing a no-confidence motion. Her remarks 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 huge following in the neighbouring country. (PTI)
Voting on no-confidence motion against Pakistan PM Imran Khan expected after 8 pm, reports Pakistan media.
As Pakistan’s National Assembly resumed its session after a lengthy delay on Saturday, PTI leader and Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said that "Pakistan is a sovereign state, but still, US NSA called the NSA of Pakistan and ordered us not to go to Russia." "Which nation is ordered around like this?" he asked.
The debate on the no-trust vote against Pakistan PM Imran Khan has been delayed and will started after the Namaz break, Geo News reported. The talks between the Speaker and the Opposition also failed as the latter wanted a vote on a no-confidence motion, while the Speaker wanted to take up the foreign conspiracy angle for debate.
The National Assembly will shortly resume the debate on the no-trust vote against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. The session, which began at 10.30 am was adjourned by the Speaker till 12 pm (1 pm IST). The Prime Minister is not present in the House, but 51 members of his party are present in the House.
Speaking during the session, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi accepted that according to the Constitution, it is the right of the Opposition to submit a no-confidence motion, while it is the government’s responsibility to defend itself against it. Citing PM Imran Khan’s April 8 address to the nation, he said that to honour the Constitution is the responsibility of all Pakistanis and “just as the PM said, although we are disappointed with Supreme Court’s judgment, we still abide by the verdict.”
Leader of Opposition in Pakistan's National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday told the speaker to conduct the session as per the order of the Supreme Court and said that the Opposition will oust the "selected" prime minister by adopting a lawful and constitutional procedure. Sharif called on the speaker to conduct proceedings in accordance with the court's directives, stating that parliament would be writing history today. “Today, parliament is going to defeat a selected prime minister in a constitutional manner,” he declared. Sharif 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.
The National Assembly session to decide the fate of Prime Minister Imran Khan was adjourned till 12:30 pm (1 pm IST). Speaker Asad Qaiser is chairing the session which began at 10:30 am and the no-confidence vote against the PM is the fourth item on the agenda of the Assembly.
The National Assembly session to decide the fate of Prime Minister Imran Khan is currently underway. The no-confidence motion against the PM will be moved by Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif soon. Speaker Asad Qaiser is chairing the session which began at 10:30 am and the no-confidence vote against the PM is the fourth item on the agenda of the Assembly. Taking the floor, Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in the country’s history when the Supreme Court rejected the deputy speaker's ruling that a no-confidence motion against the PM could not be permitted.
Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz, and different MNAs were seen arriving at the National Assembly as the no-confidence vote against PM Imran Khan is scheduled to start shortly.
After Imran Khan praised India during his address hours before a no-confidence vote, former Pakistan Prime Minister's daughter Maryam Nawaz told him to leave Pakistan and move to India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan faces a no-confidence vote in parliament on Saturday which he is widely expected to lose. If that happens, or he resigns before then, a new government would be formed most likely under opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, but it was unclear how long it could last or whether elections expected to take place later this year would bring greater clarity.
The nation of more than 220 million people lies between Afghanistan to the west, China to the northeast and India to the east, making it of vital strategic importance. Since coming to power in 2018, Khan’s rhetoric has become more anti-American and he expressed a desire to move closer to China and, recently, Russia – including talks with President Vladimir Putin on the day the invasion of Ukraine began. Read our Explainer to understand what the upheaval, which comes as the economy is in deep trouble, means for countries closely involved in Pakistan.
Pakistan Prime Minister Iran Khan, while addressing the nation late Friday ahead of today’s no-confidence vote, said that he will not tolerate the installation of a “foreign government” in Pakistan and that he will turn to the public for support if such a thing happens. “We are not a nation that can be used like tissue papers,” Khan said. “They (Opposition) want to get rid of the corruption cases registered against them. People should come out of their houses to protest against the foreign-funded drama and I will be there with you as I will never accept this conspiracy against Pakistan,” the PM added. He also cited the example of India as a “self-respecting nation” (khuddar qaum) which no world power can dictate terms to.
Good Morning and welcome to our coverage of the political crisis that is brewing in Pakistan. With the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan going up for a vote at 10 am today, follow this space for the latest news and updates regarding the matter.
Stating that the responsibility to protect the nation’s sovereignty lies with its citizens, Imran Khan called upon the people to take to streets on Sunday to protest against the Supreme Court verdict.
Repeating his allegation that a US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan, Imran Khan said he will not accept an “imported government”.
Highlighting India’s foreign policy, Khan said he is “in awe of the functioning of the neighbouring country which does not allow any foreign power to influence its decisions.” He added that “no superpower can dictate terms to India.” Imran Khan was referring to India’s stance on the Russia-Ukraine war with New Delhi buying oil from Moscow despite pressure from the United States.
Shehbaz Sharif, the person most likely to be Pakistan's next prime minister, is little known outside his home country but has a reputation domestically as an effective administrator more than as a politician.
The younger brother of three-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, Shehbaz, 70, is leading a bid by the opposition in parliament to topple Imran Khan, and if a vote of no-confidence goes ahead on Saturday he is widely expected to replace Khan.
Analysts say Shehbaz, unlike Nawaz, enjoys amicable relations with Pakistan's military, which traditionally controls foreign and defence policy in the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million people. (Reuters)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan chairs a meeting of the Federal Cabinet in Islamabad, reports Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf. (ANI)
Pakistan's lower house of parliament has been convened for Saturday to hold a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, a notification said on Friday.The session will start at 10:30 a.m. local time (0530 GMT), and the vote is the fourth point on the agenda, brought by the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif. (Reuters)
A member of Pakistan's government denounced on Friday a Supreme Court decision to quash an attempt by Prime Minister Imran Khan to block a no-confidence vote against him, saying the court's ruling was akin to a 'judicial coup'.
"A judicial coup happened last night ... ending parliamentary supremacy!" Minister for Human Rights Shireen Mazari said on Twitter.
Mazari also suggested that Khan and his allies would fight on. "The long shadows hanging over this judicial decision think the game has been won but frankly it has just started," she said.
A group of prominent Pakistani dissidents Friday welcomed the ruling of their country's Supreme Court ruling, restoring its elected parliament after its "unlawful" dissolution by Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Pakistan Supreme Court has ruled on the right side of history by upholding the Constitution of Pakistan, South Asians Against Terrorism and for Human Rights (SAATH), a pro-democracy outfit of Pakistanis said. "This is also the time when all institutions of the state look back at the debris of the last four years," it said in a statement. SAATH said while the latest Supreme Court judgment is a positive step it is also important that "the horrendous practice of 'disappearing' people should end".
Prominent members of SAATH include former Senator Afrasiab Khattak, Member of Parliament Mohsin Dawar, former ambassadors Husain Haqqani and Kamran Shafi, former editor of Daily Times Rashed Rahman, columnist Mohammed Taqi, journalists Taha Siddiqui, Gul Bukhari and Marvi Sirmed, and activists Gulalai Ismail, Tahira Jabeen, Shahzad Irfan and Farhan Kaghzi. (PTI)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that he would address the nation on Friday evening after his government suffered a setback following the Supreme Court's decision.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday restored the National Assembly after it declared the government's decision to dissolve the assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri's ruling against the Constitution.
Khan said a meeting of the PTI's parliamentary committee would also be convened on Friday and he would "continue to fight for Pakistan till the last ball". (PTI)
Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan is due to address the nation on Friday after the Supreme Court ruled he acted unconstitutionally in blocking an attempt to oust him - a decision that could end his premiership in days.
Last Sunday, political allies of the former cricket star dissolved parliament to thwart an opposition no-confidence vote Khan had been expected to lose after coalition partners deserted him to rob him of a majority.
The Supreme Court ruled late on Thursday that Khan's manoeuvre was unconstitutional, ordering that parliament be reconvened by Saturday and for the no-confidence motion to go ahead as planned.
The court ruling is the latest twist in a crisis that has threatened political and economic stability in the nuclear-armed country of 220 million people, with the rupee currency hitting all-time lows on Thursday and foreign exchange reserves tumbling. (Reuters)