ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s parliament resumed a session on Saturday amid uncertainty over whether a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, on the agenda for today, would be put to vote as scheduled.
Earlier in the day, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser abruptly adjourned until Saturday afternoon a session of the lower house of parliament in which voting on the no-trust motion against Khan was meant to be held. The PM is widely expected to lose the motion.
Members of Khan’s party had suggested on Friday they would try to delay the vote as much as possible.
Khan was due to face the no-trust vote last Sunday, but National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, an ally of the PM, disallowed voting on the motion, saying it was motivated by a “foreign conspiracy” and hence “unconstitutional.” The president then dissolved parliament on Khan’s advice.
In a closely watched verdict, the Supreme Court on Thursday declared the deputy speaker’s ruling void and reinstated parliament, ordering the no-trust vote be held in parliament on Saturday, today.
“I want to say to you that whatever happened is in the past now,” opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, a frontrunner to replace Khan, said, addressing Qaiser directly on Saturday morning. “For God’s sake, stand up today for the constitution and the law. Play the [constitutional] role of a speaker today and ensure that your name is written in golden words in history.”
“The verdict of the court, we will implement it in true spirit,” Qaiser replied.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi spoke next, saying the opposition had the right to present a no-confidence motion and but it was his duty to present the government’s point of view against it.
“We intend to fight it in a constitutional, political and democratic manner,” he said.
As the FM began to outline the government’s accusations of a “foreign conspiracy” against Khan, opposition members shouted from their benches and interrupted Qureshi.
“This is not fair, why are you nervous,” the foreign minister asked. “Why are you perplexed? What is the haste about?“
Amid the ruckus, Qaiser adjourned the session. The session was supposed to resume at 12:30 p.m. but started two hours later. .
As lawmakers returned after a break, Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, chairman of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party urged the speaker to allow voting on the no-confidence resolution.
“If you won’t come to the agenda of the session, then you should know that the opposition is also not going anywhere from here,” he said. “We will take our rights from you by force.”
The PPP chairman’s father and former president, Asif Ali Zardari, spoke after him, also requesting that Qaiser allow voting.
”Sir, I wouldn’t like it tomorrow if we were to head over to the Supreme Court to say that you violated its orders by not allowing voting on it. I don’t want that,” he said.
“Please allow voting to be held and let’s move forward for Pakistan’s betterment.”
In an address to the nation on Friday night, Khan, who has accused the United States of working with the opposition to orchestrate the campaign to oust him, said he would not accept an “imported government” imposed on Pakistan.
“I am ready for a struggle. I am to go out into the public and struggle,” Khan said. “You all are to head out after Isha [prayers] on Sunday and stage a peaceful protest.”
Saturday’s parliamentary session began at 10:30am (0530 GMT).
Speaking to reporters before the session began, FM Qureshi said his party was ready to sit on the opposition benches.
“We are ready for every eventuality because we are fighting for Pakistan’s self-respect,” he said, adding that he was sure the “hearts of the nation” were beating with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.
When asked whether voting would take place in the assembly today, Qureshi said: “Depends on the environment of the assembly.”
Ahead of the last session of parliament where the no-trust motion was to be voted on, PM Khan had lost majority in the National Assembly after defections by dozens of his party’s lawmakers and abandonment by his coalition partners. He is widely expected to lose today’s vote.
The opposition blames the PM for mismanaging the economy as well as foreign policy failures and poor governance.
Opposition parties require 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly for the no-trust motion to prevail.
