Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a crucial trust vote in the National Assembly past midnight on Saturday, becoming the first Premier in the country’s history to be removed through a no-confidence motion.
Khan (69) was not present in the Lower House at the time of voting. His party lawmakers staged a walkout. Voting on the resolution began at 11.58 pm (local time). The House was adjourned for two minutes and the new session began at 12.02 am.
After dramatic turn of events during the day, speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, both from Imran’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf party, resigned and Ayaz Sadiq of the main opposition PML-N took charge of the proceedings.
Earlier, the National Assembly was adjourned four times during the day. Amid the impasse, Army Chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has reportedly met Imran Khan. A little before midnight, Islamabad High Court was preparing to take up a petition asking the court to restrain the Prime Minister from de-notifying General Bajwa as the Army Chief. Imran denied plans to sack Bajwa.
Meanwhile, both the Pakistan Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court were expected to become active after midnight if the top court’s orders to complete the vote was not complied with.
The joint Opposition, a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties, secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the PM.
Earlier in the day, the crucial session convened in line with a landmark Supreme Court ruling to decide the fate of Prime Minister Khan witnessed multiple adjournments and heated arguments.
The Opposition filed the no-confidence motion on March 8, setting a set of events leading to the day of voting and rise in the tension due to Khan’s insistence that he was being targeted as part of a “foreign conspiracy” with the collaboration of top Opposition leaders.
Pakistan’s Supreme Court opened its doors at midnight to a petition filed by the Opposition against the government’s stonewalling of a no-confidence vote in the National Assembly.
