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ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has adjourned the crucial session, which commenced at 10.30pm on Friday morning, till 9:30pm for the fourth time. The all-important session of the lower house of parliament was summoned on the Supreme Court’s directive to hold voting on the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired today’s session which began at 10:30am sharp, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives. It was followed by the national anthem and prayers for the recently deceased mother of MNA Shazia Sobia.

However, Amjad Ali Khan Niazi later 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. The opposition needs the support of at least 172 lawmakers from a total of 342 to oust the premier through the no-trust move.

A meeting was held between the treasury and opposition benches in the speaker’s chamber after the session was adjourned, where the latter called for holding proceedings according to the Supreme Court’s directives.

Following this, a meeting of the opposition’s parliamentary group was called at the opposition leader’s chamber. PML-N’s Khawaja Saad Rafique, speaking in the NA after the adjournment, said that the speaker had promised that voting would be held after Iftar.

US NSA asked Pakistani counterpart to avoid Russia tour: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Saturday alleged that prior to the Russia visit, the US national security adviser (NSA) called his Pakistani counterpart with one message: “Don’t go”.

Addressing the National Assembly floor, the federal minister questioned how a sovereign state could be stopped from a bilateral visit in this manner. “We are a sovereign state. We do not want to bear the yoke of slavery,” he added.

Qureshi added that once the decision to go was made, Pakistan decided to give its input on the Ukraine war. “Pakistan is a country that believes in the United Nations charter and self-determination and we have never supported the use of force. We reiterated that in the UN General Assembly and when the American NSA gave us the message.”

He also highlighted how Pakistani citizens were evacuated from Ukraine as the Russian invasion began. “We made what efforts we could. There was talk of humanitarian assistance, I sent it myself,” he pointed out.

FM Qureshi lambasted the fact that lawmakers switched their loyalties for material gain. “Are those powers who have sworn to uphold the Constitution not seeing this bazaar?” he asked, adding that the nation was well aware of how votes were bought and sold during last year’s Senate elections.

“We presented those videos in the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP). The PTI kept knocking on the ECP’s doors for a year. After this struggle, the arguments were concluded. But despite the lapse of a year, we have not gotten justice,” he lamented.

The foreign minister also said that “blatant attempts” for changing the regime were not hidden. Striking a philosophical note, he said that man was temporary but facts could not be suppressed. “History will expose those who have run this entire drama the pen of the historian does not forgive anyone,” he added.

Bilawal holds FM Qureshi responsible for PM Imran’s troubles

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto on Saturday alleged that Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi was responsible for Prime Minister Imran Khan’s troubles, calling for voting to be held on no-confidence motion.

NA Speaker Asad Qaiser was chairing today’s session which began at 10:30am sharp, in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives. It was followed by the national anthem and prayers for the recently deceased mother of MNA Shazia Sobia.

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

Addressing the NA floor, Bilawal began by telling [PM] Imran he was violating the Constitution and the court’s orders. “You cannot take up anything else except for what is on the agenda. Not only had you, the speaker also done the same,” he said.

At this, Niazi told the PPP chairman that the court can’t intervene in parliamentary matters. Bilawal replied by saying that Niazi would be disqualified for violating the law, adding that this was not the first time the court had set aside the speaker’s ruling.

Turning his guns on PM Imran, Bilawal said that the premier was breaking the law on his way out of office. “If you want to be involved in it, then it’s your choice. But I had warned the prime minister to stay away from the man speaking before me,” he said, referring to the foreign minister.

Bilawal questioned why the foreign minister was not present for the National Security Committee meeting. He also questioned why the statement issued after the meeting did not mention the no-trust motion. “It just included a decision to issue a demarche,” he added.

Shehbaz Sharif’s address

Taking the floor, the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in the country’s history when the apex court rejected the deputy speaker’s ruling. According to the PML-N leader, the SC decision had made Pakistan’s future “bright”.

He also thanked the opposition leadership for struggling against the erroneous ruling, the fruits of which the country was seeing.

Shahbaz told the speaker to conduct the session as per the order of the Supreme Court and said 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. However, his suggestion was met with loud protesting chants from Opposition members.

Pakistan’s history full of constitutional violations: Qureshi

Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi began to acknowledge that the opposition had the right to table a no-trust motion against the prime minister, but said that defending it was his obligation. “We intend to fight it in constitutional, political and democratic manner,” he asserted.

Talking about constitutional violations on the floor of the assembly, he said that it was obligatory “on us to respect the Constitution”. “As the prime minister said yesterday, he is disappointed but has accepted the court’s decision,” Qureshi said, referring to PM Imran’s late night address on Friday.

“Pakistan’s history is full of constitutional violations,” he said. The minister went on to say that the doctrine of necessity should have been buried, voicing his happiness at the “evolution” of Pakistan’s democracy.

Qureshi also presented the stance of the prime minister, saying that he was disappointed but respected the court’s orders. He also added that NA proceedings were being conducted in accordance with the court’s orders.

SC verdict

The top court restored the NA on Thursday after it declared the government’s decision to dissolve the assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling against the Constitution.

The top court has ordered NA Speaker Asad Qasier to summon the session on Saturday (April 9) no later than 10:30am to allow the vote on the no-confidence motion against the premier.

The Supreme Court also “declared that the assembly was in existence at all times, and continues to remain and be so”.

The apex court also stated that the speaker cannot prorogue the assembly and bring the session to an end if the no-trust motion fails or after a new prime minister is elected if a no-confidence motion is passed.

The court ruled that no member will be barred from casting their vote. It also stated that if the no-trust motion fails, then the government will continue to carry out its affairs.

“…if the no-confidence motion against the prime minister succeeds, then the assembly will appoint the new prime minister,” the top court’s order said.

Security high alert in Red Zone

Ahead of voting on the no-trust motion against PM Imran Khan, security has been further tightened in Islamabad.

The local administration of the federal capital has sealed the Red Zone to maintain foolproof security amid the vote of no-confidence.

Islamabad Police and local administration had formed a strategy to ensure peace ahead of the vote of no-confidence against the PM in the National Assembly on 9 April.

According to details, all routes leading to the Red Zone would be sealed during the National Assembly session. Entry and exit to the Red Zone, for authorized personnel only, would be allowed via Margalla road.

Islamabad Police and other security agencies would be deployed in the Red Zone to ensure peace. Check posts and CCTV cameras installed in the Red Zone would be used to monitor the situation.

‘Mass resignations’

Interior Minister Sheikh Rasheed — who was restored as a cabinet member after the Supreme Court’s landmark judgement — has said mass resignations from the treasury benches could resolve the current political turmoil.

“I used to suggest three months back: tender your resignations, dissolve the assemblies, impose an emergency, impose governor’s rule. I was right in all instances,” the interior minister told journalists in the federal capital.

“I stand by my decision of mass resignations. We should take to the streets and expose these hired guns [the Opposition]. They will [compromise] on Pakistan’s foreign policy,” the interior minister said.

PM’s address to nation

Prime Minister Imran Khan Friday addressed the nation and reiterated the stance that he would not tolerate the installation of a “foreign government” in Pakistan and that he would turn to the public for support if such a thing happens.

The PM stated that he would never accept an “imported government” and would look up to the public for their decision.

PM Khan maintained that even before the no-confidence motion was filed against him, the US official had warned the Pakistani ambassador that if Imran Khan manages to save himself from the motion, Pakistan would have to face “severe consequences.”

Lost majority

PM Imran Khan’s coalition lost its majority in the national assembly last week, but he avoided being dismissed when the deputy speaker blocked a no-confidence motion against him and the president dissolved parliament and ordered fresh elections.

The premier claimed the Opposition had colluded with the United States for “regime change” when the deputy speaker — a member of PTI — refused to allow the no-confidence motion.

Simultaneously, Khan asked President Arif Alvi — who is also a PTI loyalist — to dissolve the assembly.

The decision — which the court said was unanimous — was met with jubilation by opposition supporters in the capital, with packed cars racing through the streets, sounding their horns.

There had been high hopes for Khan when he was elected in 2018 on a promise of sweeping away decades of entrenched corruption and cronyism, but he struggled to maintain support with soaring inflation, a feeble rupee and crippling debt.

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