Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, April 3: In a day of swift developments on Sunday, the Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan managed to save his chair at least for the time being getting the no-confidence motion against his government rejected by the deputy speaker without putting it to vote, securing dissolution of the National Assembly by the President and assuring Parliamentary elections within the next 90 days to defeat, what he said, “foreign-sponsored move” to oust his government and “destroy Pakistan’s democracy.”
“Let people decide who should govern them and not a handful of traitors acting at the behest of a foreign country,” Khan said hitting out at the opposition leaders allegedly helped by the United States to throw his government out. In a brief address to the nation soon after the deputy speaker Qasim Suri, who was in the chair rejected the no-confidence motion terming it as illegal because the “foreign power” was behind it. Suri was in chair after the Opposition submitted a no-confidence motion against the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser also just hours before the voting on no-trust motion against the government was to take place.
“The people should decide what they want, not foreigners. Buying people’s support with money has resulted in this (situation). Put that money into something better, for orphanages etc. I implore the nation to prepare for elections. You will decide the future of this nation, not foreigners or corrupt people,” the 69-year old prime minister, who has clearly lost the majority support in the 342-member Pakistan National Assembly, said in his address.
Outwitted by Khan’s swift moves, the combined opposition, who termed the rejection of the no-confidence motion by the deputy speaker without putting it to vote as “unconstitutional,” and decided to stage “dharna and sit-in” protest refusing to leave the National Assembly precincts before the motion was put to vote and also to approach the Pakistan Supreme Court demanding an urgent hearing against the unconstitutional moves by the Imran Khan government. The Supreme Court which decided to take suo motu notice of the government’s moves, is learnt to be preparing hearing the opposition petitions against the last-minute dismissal of the no-trust motion without a vote later in the evening.
Khan along with his supporters stayed away from the National Assembly on Sunday when the deputy speaker within minutes after convening it declared the no-confidence motion “illegal and unconstitutional” because it was moved at the behest of the US government and said the chair was rejecting the motion and adjourned the House before leaving the hall.
As soon as the motion was rejected, Khan came on the air for a short address to the nation and asked the people of Pakistan to “Get ready for elections”. “The conspiracy to take down this government has collapsed,” he added. He said he was recommending the dissolution of Parliament and fresh elections would be held in 90 days.
Even as the opposition cried foul, Khan send his recommendation to the president Arif Alvi who immediately acted on the advice and ordered dissolution of the National Assembly. The opposition alleged that the “Government has violated constitution, it did not allow voting on no confidence motion. The united opposition is not leaving parliament. Our lawyers are on their way to Supreme Court…” tweeted Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the leader of the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).
The cricketer-turned politician who captained Pakistan to their only World Cup win in 1992, had earlier hinted he still had a card to play. “I have a plan for tomorrow (Sunday), you should not be worried about it. I will show them and will defeat them in the assembly,” he had said on Saturday. He had also refused to resign, promising to “play till the last ball” and “look the traitors in the eye at the assembly.”
On Sunday morning, he skipped the assembly session as his supporters roamed the streets in response to his call for a peaceful protest against what he said was a “conspiracy” hatched outside Pakistan to unseat him. Khan has accused the US of meddling in Pakistan’s affairs and alleged that the opposition was conspiring with Washington to remove him because he would not take the side of the US and Europe on global issues against Russia and China.
Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) had effectively lost majority in the 342-member assembly last week when a key coalition partner said its seven lawmakers announced that they would vote with the opposition. More than a dozen lawmakers from the ruling party also indicated that they would cross the floor.
While the opposition claimed that it had the support of 177 members in favour of the no-trust motion without the rebels within the ruling PTI, the experts said Khan could not muster more than 142 supporters if he faced the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. The opposition is headed by the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and the PPP – two usually feuding dynastic groups that dominated national politics for decades until Khan forged a coalition against them.
The Opposition front in Pakistan said they will stage a sit-in at the national assembly till the no-trust vote against the Imran Khan government is held, the leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said. “Our lawyers are on their way to Supreme Court. We call on ALL institutions to protect, uphold, defend & implement the constitution of Pakistan,” he said.
In a video address he said, “The world knows that the Opposition has the numbers to win the vote of no-confidence. At the last moment, the Speaker took an illegal step. Pakistan’s law was broken. As per law, the no-trust vote is to happen today. The united opposition has decided to stage a dharna in national assembly till we are given our legal right. Our lawyers will reach the Supreme Court to ensure that the no-trust vote happens today,” he said. “The Parliament cannot be dissolved, (the government) must face the no-trust vote,” Bhutto Zardari said. “Imran Khan has exposed himself with this juvenile act,” he added.
“This day will be remembered as a black day in Pakistan’s constitutional history,” said Shehbaz Sharif, leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), who had been tipped to replace Khan if the vote had succeeded.
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. This came amid rumours of possible violence in the run-up to the trust vote.
Simultaneously with the National Assembly, Punjab Assembly also followed the same course where too the no-confidence against the state government was rejected as the governor was quickly replaced by a pro-Khan leader. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry Sunday said the federal government had removed Punjab Governor Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar from his post, appointing Omer Sarfraz Cheema as his replacement. Chaudhary also said after the dissolution of National Assembly only Imran Khan would continue as the prime minister with his cabinet dissolved. “The Prime Minister will continue his duties under Article 224 of the Constitution. The Cabinet has been dissolved,” he tweeted.