Islamabad, Pakistan:
Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif said that Imran Khan and National Assembly speaker Asad Qaisar will be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution once their government falls.
Shehbaz’s response comes minutes after Qasim Suri declared the no-confidence motion “unconstitutional”, an anti-climax development to weeks of planning and intense lobbying.
Meanwhile, responding to today’s developments, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), said that the opposition will “initiate a legal battle” against the “unconstitutional ruling by the NA Deputy Speaker”.
“We will follow the constitution to deal with the situation,” he reportedly said.
Similarly, reacting to the government’s decision to dissolve assemblies, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the opposition too had a surprise for the government which, she said, will be announced shortly.
Earlier today, Pakistan President Arif Alvi approved the dissolution of the National Assembly on Prime Imran Khan’s advice in a surprise move.
In a televised address to the nation after the no-confidence motion against his government was rejected by the Deputy Speaker on “constitutional” grounds, Imran Khan said that he has advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly and called upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections.
Later, in a series of tweets, Imran Khan defended his call for early elections and asked the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) why they are afraid of it.
“Isn’t it better for PDM to accept elections rather than being part of a foreign conspiracy for regime change; and indulging in blatant purchasing of loyalties thereby destroying our nation’s moral fibre?” Imran Khan tweeted.
Imran Khan has been calling the move by the Opposition to bring a no-confidence motion against his government, a “foreign conspiracy” involving the US to oust him.
