Shehbaz: Imran Khan sold Toshakhana gifts in Dubai
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said he can confirm that his predecessor, PTI Chairman Imran Khan, took gifts from the Toshakhana and sold them in Dubai, media reports said on Friday…reports Asian Lite News
“Imran Khan sold these gifts for Rs140 million in Dubai,” the PM was reported as telling journalists during an iftar he hosted on Thursday in the federal capital, Geo News reported.
According to Sharif, the expensive gifts that former Prime Minister Imran Khan traded for money included diamond jewellery sets, bracelets, and wrist watches.
Pic credits Twitter @PakPMO
PM Shehbaz Sharid said that he also received a watch once, but deposited it to the Toshakhana, adding that he “does not need to hide anything”.
The premier’s revelation came in response to a question regarding a petition seeking the details of the Toshakhana that had been filed in the Islamabad High Court on which then PM Imran Khan had commented that the details cannot be revealed as per the Official Secrets Act, 1923.
Former federal minister and PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry, however, refuted PM Shehbaz Sharif’s statement, saying that the new Premier is “throwing dirt on Imran Khan”.
He claimed that Khan bought a watch that he received from a foreign country from the government of Pakistan and sold it.
The former federal minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry refuted the premier’s claims, saying he is “throwing dirt on Imran Khan”, reports Asian Lite News
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Friday accused the former premier Imran Khan of selling gifts received during foreign visits, reported local media.
“I can confirm you that Imran Khan took gifts worth Rs 140 million from Toshakhana (state depository) and sold them in Dubai,” ARY News quoted Sharif as saying, who further added that the valuable state gifts included diamond jewellery, bracelets and watches.
Sharif’s remarks came in response to a question regarding a petition filed in the Islamabad High Court seeking details of the Toshakhana. The then PM Imran Khan had refused to reveal the details of the depository of the state gifts, citing provisions of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, reported Geo News.
However, the former federal minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Fawad Chaudhry refuted the premier’s claims, saying he is “throwing dirt on Imran Khan”.
(Photo PML(N))
Chaudhry further advised the premier to avoid superficial gossip and focus on national issues, according to the media outlet.
Notably, according to Pakistan’s law, gifts received by the head of the state from another state or country have to be deposited in the Toshakhana. In the event the head of the state wishes to keep the gift, the payment equal to its value, which is decided through an auction, has to be paid to the state exchequer.
Meanwhile, ousted Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday appealed to the overseas Pakistanis to donate money to PTI in order to topple the “foreign-backed” government headed by Shehbaz Sharif.
Khan alleged that with the help of the US, a corrupt government has overtaken Pakistan and therefore he wants the country to hold fresh elections where Pakistani citizens can decide on their future. (ANI)
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (India Narrative_IANS)
Though Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah rejected one of these petitions as “frivolous”, the danger still looms on Khan with the decision on other petitions still pending in the courts….reports Asian Lite News
In an ironic turn of events, the provisions of Pakistan’s constitution that the former premier Imran Khan sought to use against his opponents might be his undoing by becoming the reason for possible charges of treason against him, said a media report.
Notably, with a clutch of petitions filed before various courts citing the provisions of the constitution that Khan tried to use against his opponents during his last fortnight in power, he may face renewed charges of treason and a possible trial, reported Islam Khabar.
Though Islamabad High Court Chief Justice Athar Minallah rejected one of these petitions as “frivolous”, the danger still looms on Khan with the decision on other petitions still pending in the courts.
After failing at his attempts to block the no-confidence motion upon realization of falling short of the majority, Khan declared the launch of a “freedom struggle” in the National Assembly within hours of being voted out of power on April 10.
Further, the Supreme Court had to repeatedly intervene in the process of the no-trust motion, by taking note of the rejection of the motion in the National Assembly and summoning all parties for a four-day hearing.
Moreover, dismissing serious concern from the government’s legal wing, Khan sent the Foreign Office diplomatic letter to Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, claiming that a foreign country sent a threatening message through Pakistan’s envoy, reported the media outlet.
The relevant provisions of the constitution based on which the petitions have been filed against Khan include Article 5(1) under which “loyalty to the state and obedience to the constitution and law” is an inviolable obligation of every citizen.
Another article included in the petitions — Article 6 — states that any person who abrogates or attempts to abrogate the constitution by use of force shall be guilty of high treason, adding that an act of treason cannot be validated by any court including the Supreme Court.
Thus, a possible trial against Khan may implicate all those who participated in blocking the parliamentary vote, a legitimate exercise under the Constitution. These cohorts include President Arif Alvi, National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar, Deputy Speaker Qasim Shah Suri and two former ministers — Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Fawad Chaudhary.
Pic credits Instagram
However, besides the parliamentary processes, the principal thrust behind the move is from the army that has not taken well to Khan’s attempts of implicating. Further, Khan’s persistence in a “foreign conspiracy” to implicate the US has also displeased the army.
While also being dragged into the public and political discord, the army has also not taken kindly to Imran Khan persisting with his “foreign conspiracy” charge that implicates the United States, the country’s biggest benefactor, muddling diplomatic ties, and also casting aspersions on the new government.
At the political level also, the issue will be highlighted after the word has come from self-exiled PML (N) supremo Nawaz Sharif charging Imran Khan with “high treason” and calling for his trial, reported the media outlet.
The final thrust may come from the army as the statement issued by the army ‘huddle’ at the 79th Formation Commanders’ meeting held on April 12 took note of the “propaganda campaign,” and attempt to “divide institution and society,” thus hinting at its angry mood. (ANI)
There are five key reasons which may drive New Delhi to welcome the enraged former Prime Minister’s combative departure, a report by Atul Aneja
Imran Khan’s graceless exit from premiership, kicking and screaming, in a raucous no-confidence vote in Pakistan National Assembly may be good news for India, and, in fact, the region.
There are five key reasons which may drive New Delhi to welcome the enraged former Prime Minister’s combative departure.
First, unlike many pragmatists in the Pakistan establishment, Khan was obsessed with Kashmir. It is well known in the corridors of power in both Islamabad and New Delhi that top echelons of the Pakistani military were not happy to re-ignite Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The military’s logic was impeccable. Pakistan could not jointly fight in Kashmir as well as Balochistan simultaneously. Besides, the Durand Line had become red hot on account of a growing movement for an independent Pashtunistan carved out of the territory on either side of the existing Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
In fact, the Pak army, Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa may have been the architect of a peace overture in Kashmir, for it was under his stewardship that a dormant ceasefire agreement with India along the Line of Control (LoC) and the International Border (IB) was revived. The agreement implied that Pakistan’s ISI will not infiltrate terrorists into Kashmir under the cover of fire, a long time Indian demand for reviving a peace process with Islamabad.
Insiders say that ceasefire was part of a bigger two stage plan—the resumption of trade on either side of the LoC in Kashmir , and if that worked, revival of commercial ties between across the Wagah-Attari border in Punjab.
From a Pakistani strategic perspective exercising military dominance in Balochistan was vital. The bone dry Balochistan was rich in resources, including rare earths, oil and gas. But more importantly dominating Balochinstan was key to the reinforcement of Islamabad’s ties with Beijing. Most of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), labelled by Chinese President Xi Jinping as a flagship project of Beijing’s ultra-ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) passed through Balochistan. China would therefore lose face big time if the Pakistani military failed to keep the restive province, infested with a bold insurgency, under control.
The exit of Khan could therefore mean setting in motion of stage-2 of the ceasefire agreement which could never take-off because of Khan’s obduracy, reinforced by attempts to play politics inside the military by cultivating hardlines such as former ISI Chief Faiz Hameed, who has also been the chief benefactor of the Haqqani group in Afghanistan.
In an address on April 2, even before Khan was shown the door, Gen. Bajwa declared his intent to build bridges with India on Kashmir. He said at ‘Islamabad Security Dialogue’ conference that “Islamabad continues to believe in using diplomacy to resolve all outstanding issues, including Kashmir, to keep the ‘flames of fire away from our region’.”
Second, if all goes well, it is a matter of time before former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif makes a triumphant return to Islamabad from exile in London to directly or indirectly take control of the reign of power in Islamabad. The return of Sharif will be good news for India, for the veteran leader has been convinced that Pakistan’s prosperous future and destiny is tied up with friendship with India. From the Lahore Declaration of —to his presence during the inaugural of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first term in 2014, there is hardly any doubt that Sharif is a man of peace who wishes well for Pakistan, India and the region.
In fact, the shadow of Nawaz Sharif was palpable as the votes were being counted in Pakistan’s National Assembly at the stroke of midnight on Saturday. “All representatives of the Pakistan opposition are sitting here and the absence of Mian Nawaz Sharif is being passionately felt here,” said Ayaz Sadiq the speaker of the house, after Khan was voted out of premiership.
Third, a combination of Nawaz Sharif and Gen. Bajwa, or his ideological soulmate, wanting good and balanced relations with India, United States and China would eminently suit New Delhi, which is seeking strong partners especially in the neighbourhood and the broader Eurasian landmass as a spur to push its peaceful rise.
Fourth, though time will tell and there can be many a slip between the proverbial cup and the lip, Khan’s exit would mean that chances of a two-front war, however remote, with Islamabad and Beijing as inseparable partners would be reduced if the Pakistani establishment likely reaches out to India. New Delhi of course will respond only if Islamabad can establish its sincerity in a peaceful and prosperous future with India, something which has gone amiss in relationship, which has experienced serial false starts.
Finally, with Gen. Bajwa firmly opposed to fundamentalism, Khan’s enterprise to bond with radical Islam, evident in his remarks in praise of Osama bin Laden, and his attempt to forge an Islamic front with Recep Tayyip’s Erdogan’s Turkey and former Malaysian leader Mahathir Mohammad among others, is now likely to be strongly jolted if not derailed. That would provide India more options to forge friendly ties in southwest Asia including the oil rich Gulf countries, and Central Asia, where India and Pakistan are partners in the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
The opposition has vowed to try Imran Khan under Article 6 of the Constitutions for high treason. The punishment is death. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s action of dismissing Opposition’s motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan as against Article 5 of the Constitution needs to be examined in the light of Article 6 of the Constitution …. Writes Dr Sakariya Kareem
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan insisted to stay on the pitch till the last ball while there was no ball left. His craze for hitting the non-existent last ball made him look like a comic character who would give tuppence for any rule of the game.
As Prime Minster he tried to scuttle the Constitution of the country when he felt it posed a threat to his Prime ministership. The acts of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who dismissed the opposition’s no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister on April 3, and of President Arif Alvi, who, on the same day, dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of the Prime Minister ignoring the Constitutional Provision on this subject.
The opposition has vowed to try Imran Khan under Article 6 of the Constitutions for high treason. The punishment is death. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s action of dismissing Opposition’s motion of no-confidence in Prime Minister Imran Khan as against Article 5 of the Constitution needs to be examined in the light of Article 6 of the Constitution.
Article 5 says (1) Loyalty to the State is the basic duty of every citizen. (2) Obedience to the Constitution and the law is the basic obligation of every citizen wherever he may be and of every other person for the time being within Pakistan. It is clear from these quotations that a citizen must be loyal to the State of Pakistan and be obedient to its Constitution and law. But it nowhere lays that the citizens should be loyal to the Prime Minister or a ruler.
While misquoting Article 5, Suri completely ignored Article 95 of the Constitution which provides for the vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister. It says: resolutions for a no-confidence moved by not less than twenty per cent of the total membership of the National Assembly may be passed against the Prime Minister by the National Assembly. If the resolution is passed the Prime Minister shall cease to hold office.
The Supreme court called Suri’s action as erroneous. The President in his oath “In the name of Allah the most Beneficent the most merciful” swears that I will persevere, protect and defend the Constitutions of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”. But when the time for his test came, he forgot both his oath and the Constitution and illegally dissolved the National Assembly – perhaps unaware that the Constitution had a provision for the dissolution of the National Assembly.
The President ignored Article 58 and in indecent haste dissolved the National Assembly on the Prime Minister’s advice when the common sense said that in the presence of the Supreme Court, the opposition’s no-confidence could not be considered non-existent after the Deputy Speaker’s flippant dismissal of it for undependable allegations. In other words, the opposition’s notice for a vote of no-confidence was very much there when the President dissolved the National Assembly.
The President and the Deputy Speaker like others, all swear in the name of Allah to defend the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan. Thus they committed two sins: one, against Allah by making the false oath in his name, and two, against the Constitution of Islamic Republic of Pakistan, and thereby against the state.
When Deputy Speaker Suri dismissed the no-confidence motion on April 3 Nawaz Sharif in London said he must be tried for high treason under Article 6 of the Constitution. This Article says “Any person who abrogates or attempts or conspires to subvert the Constitution by use of force or show of force or by unconstitutional means shall be guilty of treason.
Guilty also are those who aid and abet such actions. This means if there is a case under Article 6 of Constitution besides President Alvi, Deputy Speaker Suri and some others including Imran Khan by aiding their act with a fake letter of foreign support to the no-confidence motion.
For arrogant Imran there was no way out from the no-confidence motion which had the support of half of his party legislators. It is said 197 Members were for the motion. Imran said they had got sackful of currency notes from the opposition.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (Image: Twitter@ShkhRasheed)
The celebrated victory of Imran Khan during 2018 brought him into power in a coalition government, which, after 3.5 years, turned out to be his worst mistake and the reason for his fall, a report by Hamza Ameer
Former Prime Minister Imran Khan, a cricket turned politician and a popular leader of political party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has become the first in Pakistan’s history to be removed from office after losing a no-confidence vote in the parliament.
The celebrated victory of Imran Khan during 2018 brought him into power in a coalition government, which, after 3.5 years, turned out to be his worst mistake and the reason for his fall.
His opposition constituted a formidable team of seasoned political parties and leaders, who had teamed up with a one-point agenda, ouster of Imran Khan as the country’s Prime Minister.
While removal of Imran Khan has come as a shock to many of his die-hard supporters, it took weeks of machinations by his opposition, led by some important political personalities. Here is brief look at the movers and shakers behind his ouster.
Shehbaz Sharif:
Shehbaz Sharif is the brother of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was ousted from power at least three times and was later disqualified for life from running for office. President of the Pakistan Muslim League–Nawaz (PML-N) with his political powerbase in the Punjab province, Shehbaz Sharif has served as Chief Minister of the province and is known to have been one of the most vigilant administrators of the country.
As the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, he is now next in line to be the Prime Minister after Imran Khan’s removal from office.
Asif Ali Zardari:
Asif Ali Zardari is the former President of Pakistan and hails from a wealth Sindhi family. The husband of former Prime Minister, late Benazir Bhutto, Zardari is well known as the godfather of politics in Pakistan, and a person whose strong non-political connections with political figures make him one of the most influential politicians in the country.
Zardari has his share of allegations including corruption, drug smuggling and murder, but has never faced trial on any of the charges.
Co-chairperson of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), a strong political power with his power base in the Sindh province, he became head of the party in 2007, after his wife died in a terror attack. Later he became the President of the country.
Zardari’s recent popular statement is that “the university of politics is PPP”.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s Shehbaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Fazlur Rehman and other leaders held a press conference after a key meeting of the Opposition parties in Islamabad on Saturday. (Screengrab: Twitter@MediaCellPPP)
Bilawal Bhutto Zardari:
Son of late Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari, Bilawal hails from the powerful Bhutto legacy and enjoys the political royalty of becoming the chairman of the Pakistan People Party (PPP) when he was only 19 years old.
Bilawal studied at Oxford and has fast made leaps into the Pakistani politics with his progressive and broader view on issues. The 33-year-old has made a name for himself in the race of top political figures, who are much older to him. However, he has often been mocked for being a child, immature in politics, and on his poor command of Urdu language.
But, it is a fact that the movement that led to the ouster of Imran Khan was the brainchild of Bilawal, making him by far the smartest political brain in the ranks of the PPP and its coalition political partners.
Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman:
A religious cleric who leads a hardline religious political party Jamiat-Ulema-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F), he has a reputation of being inclined towards the Taliban-led ideology of imposing a strict Islamic law in the country.
Rehman holds control of a party that has the ability of staging massive gatherings of hundreds of thousands of religious and political followers, ans is often accused of using his chain of religious schools and its students to showcase his public political strength.
He is head of the opposition parties alliance, the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) that teamed up against Imran Khan led government and removed him from office through the no-confidence vote in the parliament.
Rehman has often accused Imran Khan of being an agent of Israel and the West, and has also called him a Jew because of his marriage to Briton Jamima Goldsmith.
He is referred to by Imran Khan as Maulana Diesel, for his alleged role in illegal fuel licensing.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (Image: Twitter@ShkhRasheed)
PM Khan has summoned a special meeting of the federal cabinet tonight at 9 pm.,reports Asian Lite news
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has called an emergency cabinet meeting on Saturday at a time when a crucial National Assembly session on the no-confidence motion is underway.
Khan has summoned a special meeting of the federal cabinet tonight at 9 pm. He will chair the meeting where important decisions are to be taken, Geo News reported citing sources.
While addressing the Pakistan National Assembly, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari on Saturday said that sabotaging the no-trust motion would imply contempt of court.
Speaking in the National Assembly, Bilawal said that if voting does not take place it will be a violation of the constitution. He reiterated that the court has bound the speaker to not sabotage the no-trust vote.
Bilawal said that if any conspiracy was being hatched against Pakistan before March 7, then it should have been aroused at that time. “Imran Khan came up with the idea of this conspiracy only when he lost the majority. Imran Khan is still not present in the House and cannot defend himself,” said Bilawal.
The Chairman of PPP slammed Imran Khan for “running away from transparent elections”.
The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday filed a review petition against the Supreme Court’s verdict setting aside the National Assembly Deputy Speaker’s rejection of the no-trust motion against Imran Khan, reported local media.
The petition, filed against the April 7, 2022 verdict by the apex court, seeks a review of the ruling given by the five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, ARY News reported.
The development came after Imran Khan finalized his consultations with legal experts over the matter, the report added.
The government will plead for suspension of the verdict and for the National Assembly to be allowed to function according to the rules, reported the media outlet citing the sources.
Notably, in the wake of the apex court’s decision, Imran Khan chaired a meeting of senior party leaders and legal experts ahead of a National Assembly session for the vote on the no-confidence motion. He also had a telephonic conversation with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser to discuss the strategy for the voting on the no-trust motion. (ANI)
Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said decisions regarding the ministership will be taken by his party
Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari is rumoured to be appointed as the Minister of Foreign Affairs once the joint Opposition in Pakistan manages to oust embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan, the media reported.
Bhutto-Zardari, Chairman of the opposition Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said decisions regarding the ministership will be taken by his party, reports Geo News.
He believes the Supreme Court judgment is “first step” towards ridding institutions of controversies.
Amid the anticipation of the outcome of Saturday’s crucial National Assembly (NA) session, all eyes are on the prospective candidates for the main positions if a new government is formed.
Once again while criticising the government, the PPP Chair said that Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party has made the Foreign Ministry and National Security Committee (NSC) controversial.
Pic credits Twitter @ImranKhanPTI
He said that democracy had been damaged during the four-year rule of the PTI; however, the Supreme Court’s judgement is the “first step” towards ridding institutions of controversies.
NA Speaker Asad Qaiser has adjourned the session till afternoon after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s response to PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif’s demand for the vote on the no-trust motion against Khan, The News reported.
The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement on Thursday declared the ruling of NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri unconstitutional and directed that the voting should be held on the motion according to the agenda issued on April 3.
Pakistan National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser on Saturday adjourned the session till later in the afternoon after Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi’s response to opposition PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif’s demand for the vote on the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The Supreme Court in a landmark judgement on Thursday declared the ruling of NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri unconstitutional and directed that the voting should be held on the motion according to the agenda issued on April 3, reports The News International.
When the session started on Saturday morning, Qaiser said he would like the House to debate on the “foreign conspiracy”, triggering an angry response from the Opposition members.
Pic credits Instagram
At this, PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif stood up and reminded the chair that he is duty-bound to follow the orders of the Supreme Court.
Addressing the crucial session of the NA, Qureshi said that his leader (Khan) is “disappointed” but will respect the verdict of the Supreme Court.
Reacting to the speech of Shehbaz Sharif, the Foreign Minister said that tabling a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister is their constitutional right, adding that it is his duty to defend the premier.
“We intend to defend the no-confidence motion in a constitutional democratic manner,” said Qureshi.
Pakistan national assembly.(photo:https://twitter.com/fawadchaudhry )
Following the direction of the Supreme Court for taking up the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government, Members of Pakistan’s National Assembly (MNAs) have begun arriving at Parliament House on Saturday.
Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, and other MNAs have started arriving at the National Assembly, reported Geo News.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan (Image: Twitter@ShkhRasheed)
The Supreme Court had on Thursday ordered the incumbent government to face the no-confidence motion on Saturday. The court had turned down the ruling of the Deputy Speaker to reject the no-confidence motion on the grounds of the move being “unconstitutional” and brought as part of a “foreign conspiracy”.
The top court’s directives came after Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial took suo motu cognisance of Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly, declaring all the decisions unconstitutional.
As per the order of the Supreme Court, voting is to be held at all costs today and in case the PM is voted out, the election of a new Leader of the House will be held during the same session. The voting on the no-confidence motion is at the fourth position in the six-point agenda issued for today.
Speaker Asad Qaiser could not take up agenda other than voting on the motion and if he did not do so, he would have to face contempt of court proceedings, reported Geo News.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Opposition has submitted the no-confidence motions against the Speaker and Deputy Speaker. However, Asad Qaiser can chair today’s session according to the rules.
The National Assembly officials told Geo News that according to the SC larger bench’s written order, the NA Speaker has been made duty-bound to proceed with the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government as per the April 3 agenda of the House.
The NA officials said that the voting on the no-trust motion could take place within seven days of its submission and last Sunday (April 3) was the last day of voting. So, SC’s larger bench ordered the Speaker to revive the April 3 agenda of the National Assembly and conduct voting on the no-confidence motion, they added. Therefore, today (April 9) will be considered the last day (seventh day) of voting on the no-confidence motion and it is essential to move with the set agenda, reported Geo News.
The NA officials said if the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan succeeds, the National Assembly session will be prorogued till Sunday for the election of the new Leader of the House and the National Assembly Secretariat would begin with its necessary documentation.
The NA Secretariat has prepared forms for the nomination of the new Leader of the House and those forms would be issued as soon as the session is prorogued and scrutiny of the nomination forms will be completed till night and the list of the candidates for PM’s slot will be issued at night and after that, the National Assembly will elect new Prime Minister on Sunday.
The NA official said it was impossible to hold a debate on the issue of the letter shown by Imran Khan in its rally on March 27 in which he had alleged a foreign conspiracy to topple his government.
They said the government will have to submit a separate resolution in the NA Secretariat for the debate on the contents of the letter and briefing of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs secretary to the House and will have to seek the permission of the House if the House should be converted into a standing committee. The Opposition enjoys its majority in the House, so it can reject this resolution, reported Geo News.
Pakistan Peoples Party’s Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz’s Shehbaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s Fazlur Rehman (Screengrab: Twitter@MediaCellPPP)
When asked if the government tried to get the voting on the no-trust motion delayed for a day or a week, the NA official said that in this situation, the Speaker would violate SC’s larger bench order and should get ready to face a five-year disqualification and contempt of court.
Despite Imran Khan-led PTI government’s hectic efforts to avoid voting on the no-confidence motion, the National Assembly will decide the fate of the premier today.
Meanwhile, the ruling party has prepared its strategy to scuttle the proceedings and delay the voting by asking its MPs to indulge in lengthy speeches on the ‘foreign conspiracy”, reported Geo News.
The same was endorsed by Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chauhdry.
Talking to Geo News, he said that the foreign secretary is going to brief the House on the “threat letter”, so the voting on no-confidence may not happen and maybe deferred till next week. (ANI)
