Islamabad: Addressing the nation after the no-confidence motion was dismissed in Parliament, Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he has asked the President to dissolve the Assemblies. “There should be elections in a democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections,” Khan said.
Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan terming it ‘unconstitutional’. Suri was in chair after the Opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser just hours before the voting was to take place.
Meanwhile, Section 144, prohibiting large gatherings, has been imposed in the Pakistani capital Islamabad. The district administration has completely banned pillion riding in the city. According to sources accessed by Geo News, violence is likely in and around Parliament today, with PTI members planning to bring its protesters to D-Chowk and right up to the main gate of Parliament House, despite clear directives from the Supreme Court, which had banned all types of gatherings inside the high-security Red Zone. PTI members may stop the Opposition from entering the Lower House.
Khan needs 172 of the 342 votes in the National Assembly to stay in power. However, after his key ally, Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P), joined the Opposition camp, the PTI-led coalition government has 164 members while the Opposition has 176. While no Pakistani prime minister has ever completed a full five-year term in office, none in Pakistan’s history has ever been ousted through a no-confidence motion. Khan is the third premier to face the challenge.