Imran Khan Loses No-trust Motion With 176 Members Voting Against Him in Assembly | Highlights

Pakistan Political Crisis: Imran Khan's fate was decided as voting took place on the no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly session after day-long high drama.

Islamabad: After a long wait, the historic session of the National Assembly to decide the fate of Imran Khan began on Saturday night while the voting began 10 minutes before the clock struck 12 after a lot of midnight drama. The National Assembly session was adjourned following which the no-confidence motion was taken up. The no-trust motion against the PM was moved by Opposition leader Shahbaz Sharif.  Ahead of the no-trust vote, Speaker Asad Qaiser tendered his resignation from the assembly. Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, who is facing no-confidence vote, seemed to have accepted the writing on the wall and urged his supporters to stage peaceful protests across the country when the “new imported government” comes into power on Sunday. Khan delivered an impassioned televised address to the nation on the eve of a no-confidence vote in parliament, a day after Pakistan’s Supreme Court blocked his bid to stay in power, ruling that his move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was illegal. The court decision set the stage for a no-confidence vote, with opposition lawmakers saying they have the 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly needed to unseat Khan, after several of his ruling party members and a small, but key, coalition partner defected. “All of you will have to come out on Sunday after evening prayer to protest, to peacefully protest … I again say that should never indulge in violence,” he said.

Pakistan Political Crisis Latest Updates

• Imran Khan loses no-trust motion: Imran Khan lost no-trust motion with 176 members voting against him in Pakistan’s National Assembly.
• Voting on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan has been concluded in the Pakistan National Assembly.
• Workers of Imran Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reach outside the National Assembly as voting on the no-confidence motion against the Pakistan PM continues.
• A request has been put in Islamabad High Court to put Imran Khan Shah, Mehmood Qureshi, and Fawad Chaudhary be put on ECL, reports Pakistan’s Geo News
• Pakistan’s National Assembly has been adjourned for two minutes. The session will reconvene shortly.
• After Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser announces his resignation, invitation has been given to opposition party leader Ayaz Sadiq to preside over the assembly session.
• Voting on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan started in the Pakistan National Assembly.
• Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Dy Speaker Qasim Suri resign: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri have resigned at the parliament ahead of the no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
• PPP chairperson Bilawal Zardari says one hour left still no vote, the constitution is being broken for second time.
• Will fight till last, says Imran Khan: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan told journalists he “will fight till last,” ahead of the no-trust vote against him in the parliament, adding he has no intensions to disturb Assembly’s proceedings.
• Tight security outside Parliament: Security deployed outside the Pakistan National Assembly in Islamabad ahead of voting on no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan.
• The Chief Justice of Pakistan has asked 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 reports.
• Imran Khan has called senior journalists to the Prime Minister’s Residence, according to reports.
• Islamabad is on high alert ahead of the no-trust vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan in the National Assembly.
• The Pakistan National Assembly Session has been adjourned till 10 PM IST shortly after resuming after Iftar break.
• Pak National Assembly Likely to Continue Till 12 AM: 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
• Imran Khan calls an emergency cabinet meet: Pakistan PM Imran Khan called an emergency session of the cabinet amid the no-confidence motion against him under consideration in the National Assembly. The session is scheduled at 9:00pm at the PM House with key decisions under consideration: Pak’s ARY News
• Choudhary Fawad Hussain changes Twitter bio: Pakistan’s Information and Broadcasting Minister Choudhary Fawad Hussain changed his Twitter account bio to former I&B minister ahead of voting on no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
• Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called an emergency Cabinet meet tonight at 9:30 pm IST.
• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari slams Imran Khan: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto launched a scathing attack on Imran Khan in the Assembly and said Khan would be defeated if transparent elections were held.
• Bilawal Bhutto Zardari  addresses assembly: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in his speech in the parliament said Prime Minister Imran Khan is the “first captain who is running from the pitch with wickets because he fears that he will lose the match.”
• Review petition filed against SC order on no-trust vote: A review petition has been filed against the Supreme Court order that asked for no-trust vote. The government filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Deputy Speaker’s ruling over the no-trust motion in the National Assembly: Pakistan’s ARY News
• Don’t push Pakistan into constitutional crisis, says Qureshi: The nation will decide. Forget that I am speaking as a member of PTI. I am speaking as a Pakistani now, please don’t push this country into a constitutional crisis: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
• Qureshi Says PTI Govt Wants Good Relations With Everyone: They (US) want to view Pak & India on different platforms. They said that they look at India through lens of China. PTI govt wants good relations with everyone & expand our diplomatic reach including with Russia, China: Pak’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
• Qureshi addresses National Assembly: Pakistan is a sovereign state… I want to bring on record, that US NSA called the NSA of Pakistan and ordered us not to go (Russia). Which nation is ordered around like this?: Pakistan Foreign Minister and PTI leader Shah Mahmood Qureshi in National Assembly.
• Voting on no-confidence motion against PM Imran Khan expected after 8 PM: Pakistan media
• Session to Continue After Prayer Break, Meeting of Oppn Underway in Shahbaz’s Chamber: The session of the National Assembly, which was set to resume at 1 pm (IST), has not resumed so far as the deadlock between the opposition parties and the Speaker continues. The session will continue after the prayer break. Meanwhile, a meeting of the opposition is also going on in Shahbaz Sharif’s chamber.
• Imran Khan Absent, Sends Minister Qureshi to Represent His Party: Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that he will present the position of Imran Khan and PTI in the National Assembly. “I will talk about all the situation in the House,” Qureshi said. Currently, Qureshi is speaking in the National Assembly.
• Shehbaz Sharif, Frontrunner for PM Post, Calls for Vote of Confidence “I hope Speaker will carry out today’s proceedings of the House as per the Supreme Court order. I urge you to stand for the Constitution and law. You must catch this moment with your conviction,” Shahbaz Sharif, Leader of Opposition says in National Assembly.
• Some of the PTI members present in the house include Shehryar Afridi, Shireen Mazari, Shafqat Mehmood, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Ghulam Sarwar and Ejaz Shah.
• Twenty-two rebel leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party are present in the National Assembly ahead of the no-trust vote against Pakistan Prime Imran Khan.
• No member from Imran Khan’s party in Assembly yet ahead of no-trust vote

Pakistan Political Crisis: 10 Points

Pakistan’s latest political crisis erupted last Sunday, when Khan sidestepped the opposition’s initial no-confidence petition — a motion that had been weeks in the making — and instead accused his opponents of colluding with the United States to remove him.

Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party effectively lost the majority in the assembly earlier this month when a key coalition partner said its seven lawmakers would vote with the opposition. More than a dozen lawmakers from the ruling party also indicated that they would cross the floor.

The opposition says it has more than 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly, which needs a quarter of members present for a quorum.

Prime Minister Imran Khan last night asked the people to hit the streets on Sunday and peacefully protest against an “imported government”.

PM Khan claimed that foreign powers are trying to topple his government and Pakistan’s lawmakers are being traded like sheep to accomplish this.

Qasim Suri, Khan’s ally and deputy parliament speaker, dismissed the no-confidence vote on the grounds of collusion while his Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry described the opposition as being “disloyal to the state,” and accused them of colluding with a foreign power.

Khan dissolved Parliament and called early elections but the opposition went to the Supreme Court with its case.

Imran Khan also slammed the country’s media, accusing it of “celebrating” the government’s fall.

The Supreme Court on Thursday overturned a move by PM Khan to block a parliamentary vote seeking to oust him. The dismissal of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was “unconstitutional”, the Pakistan Supreme Court said.

If Imran Khan loses, he will be the first Prime Minister to be removed through a no-trust vote. The opposition could then nominate its own Prime Minister and hold power until August 2023, by which date fresh elections have to be held.