Speaker adjourns NA session till 7:30pm to decide fate of no-confidence motion against PM Imran

Islamabad: The crucial session of the National Assembly is continuing to decide the fate of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan with a series of speeches addressed by the membes of government and opposition. 

The session resumed after a gap of six days to decide the fate of Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired the session and invited the Lader of Opposition Shhebaz Sharif to speak on the floor of the house. 

After Shahbaz's speech that was disrupted by several of the 151 PTI MNAs present in the House, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi joined the floor of the House. 

The Speaker had to temporarily adjoun the sesison after members from the Opposition benches started interrupted Qureshi's speech.  

The session resumed after a two-hour delay. The session was originally adjourned till 12:30pm but was seemingly delayed as opposition and government members held meetings.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser was chairing today's session which began at 10:30am sharp, in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives, and with the recitation of the Holy Quran. 

However, Amjad Ali Khan Niazi chaired the session for a brief period as the session resumed after the adjournment before Qaiser returned.

Voting on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister is the fourth item on the day's agenda. While the opposition came out in full force, very few members of the treasury benches were in attendance before the session was adjourned. Prime Minister Imran Khan was also not present.

-- Shahbaz urges NA speaker to conduct proceedings as per the SC's directives --

Shahbaz told the speaker to conduct the session as per the order of the Supreme Court and added that today, the Opposition will oust the "selected" prime minister by adopting a lawful and constitutional procedure. 

At this, the speaker interjected a remark and said that the House should hold a discussion about the "foreign conspiracy" hatched against the PTI government. 

Continuing his address, Shahbaz said that April 7 was the “brightest day” in the history of Pakistan when the Supreme Court of Pakistan acknowledged the “unconstitutional act” of the NA speaker, deputy speaker and prime minister and declared it “null and void”.

“The apex court did not take the support of the doctrine of necessity but instead buried it forever; making Pakistan’s future brightest,” he said, adding that the entire nation is thankful.

He urged the NA speaker to conduct proceedings in accordance with the SC's directives, warning him that he [Asad Qaiser] will violate the constitution if he takes up any other agenda, including the foreign conspiracy”.

-- Govt intends to tackle no-trust motion against PM democratically: Qureshi --

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi Saturday said that the PTI government intended to tackle the resolution of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan, jointly moved by the Opposition parties, in a constitutional, political and democratic way.

Speaking on a Point of Order in the National Assembly, the minister said that the government admitted that the motion against the Prime Minister was in line with the Constitution of Pakistan, which the Opposition had the right to move and the government had the duty to defend it.

He put on the record that the PTI government never intended to violate the constitution. “Respecting the Constitution is binding on all of us.”

The minister said the government had accepted the verdict of the Supreme Court in a Suo Moto case on the April 3 ruling of Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri.

Qureshi also informed the House about an international conspiracy to change the democratically elected government and a ‘threat letter’ discussed in the National Security Committee meeting.

He said the government also wanted to hold an in-camera session of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security for briefing on the letter.

The minister said that it was unfortunate that with the support of the foreign powers, the majority of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in Lower House of the Parliament was being converted into a minority.

Qureshi expressed the confidence that history would expose the elements that hatched the conspiracy against the democratically elected government.

He said that it was the right time for the nation to decide whether they wanted to live with dignity and pride or otherwise. The minister also informed the parliamentarians that the Prime Minister had undertaken the bilateral visit to Russia in consultation with all stakeholders. 

Pakistan always believed in true implementation of international laws and United Nations charter, he added.

He said Prime Minister Imran Khan time and again said that Pakistan would be partner in the peace not in the conflict.

The minister said all Pakistani nationals and students stranded in Ukraine had been brought back under a safe and successful evacuation operation. He also informed the House about the efforts being made by Pakistan on the diplomatic front to solve the Russia-Ukraine crisis through dialogue and diplomacy.

Qureshi also dispelled the impression created by the Opposition parties that the ‘threatening letter’ had been prepared in the Foreign Office and said, “This is an authentic letter, written by a Grade-22 senior and seasoned diplomat posted there.”

Qureshi also shared some contents of the letter with the parliamentarians that contained clear threat that if the no-confidence motion failed, Pakistan would have to face the consequences, and if succeeded “We will pardon Pakistan.”

He said it was the fundamental principle of the PTI government’s foreign policy to had cordial ties with all the countries.

He said that Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) was constitutionally bound to conduct free, fair and transparent election within 90 days after the task is given to it. He said fresh elections and mandate would protect the country from any constitutional crisis.

 The Foreign Minister said that joint Opposition parties had nothing common in their agenda, but to avoid corruption cases.

-- NA is neither mine, nor Imran’s or Shahbaz’s but of the people --

Addressing the floor, Pakistan Peoples Party chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari the Speaker himself was doing the contempt of court and abrogating the Constitution.

"The five-member bench of the Supreme Court has given an order and no agenda item can be raised except the order of the day."

He said On April 3, their minister had trapped the PM, President and deputy-speaker in abrogation of the constitution. "Due to today’s effort, the Speaker is himself involved in these crimes."

Bilawal demanded the Speaker to follow the court’s orders. "The Speaker will himself be disqualified over the contempt of court. This is not the first time in Pakistan that a speaker’s ruling has been thrown by the court."

He said in the past too, a Speaker sitting in the same chair had given a ruling which was then done away with through a suo-moto notice, adding the court has ordered for the process of April 3 to be completed and voting has to take place.

"The Captain is running and in doing so, is committing a contempt of court and abrogating the constitution. If the Speaker wants to be involved in these crimes, it is up to him."

The PPP leader saod he had warned the PM a long time ago to be wary of the person who made a speech before him or else he would trap him. "The same person has trapped him."

‘Mr. Speaker, obey the court’s order and conduct voting’, Bilawal said.

"If today’s agenda is not followed, then they should know that the Opposition too will not leave. The court is here. We will snatch our constitutional rights."

He said the reality was that the majority was with the Opposition as Imran had lost his majority.

"All the foreign conspiracy talk is not included in the agenda. We can debate on it for a 100 days but the voting should be conducted. Accept the court’s order. There are many lies in their story. The first being that the debacle took place on March 7 and our no-confidence came on March 8."

The National Assembly is neither mine, nor Imran Khans or Shehbaz Sharif’s but that of the people, Chairman Bilawal asserted.

I had said in my first speech too, that the foundation of this building of the parliament was laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, Chairman Bilawal said. The basis for this constitution was also laid by Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and elders of the members of the Assembly.

"The blood and sweat of our workers, leadership and Pakistani citizens has been spent on this constitution.We will not let anyone conspire against this constitution," he made of clear.

They talk of selling conscience, but 90% of the faces of the former treasury benches have been ‘Lotas’ their whole life. Wherever I see, there are ‘Lotas’. When the foreign minister was changing his party for the first time, how much money did he take? What was the price of his conscience the second time he changed parties? What was the price when he was selling his conscience for the third time?

Those who came to the opposition’s benches and the ones that are yet to come, were forcibly made to join the PTI before the 2018 elections. They were made to decide against their political interest at gun point, he added.

"If the voting doesn't take place, then it would mean that the constitution has been abrogated once again and the contempt of court has taken place," Bilawal concluded.

Session adjourned till 7:30pm

The speaker adjouned the ongoing session till 7:30pm. The voting is expected to be held after 7:30pm.