New Delhi [India], April 8 (ANI): Shehbaz Sharif, the longest-serving Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, is poised to become the next Prime Minister of Pakistan. The deck was cleared by the Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday set aside Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling which rejected the no-confidence motion against the Imran Khan government.

The apex court gave directions for holding the sitting of the National Assembly “not later than 10:30 am on April 9” for the no-trust vote. The Supreme Court also said that if Imran Khan is removed as a result of the no-confidence motion, the new leader of the House should be elected in the same session.
“…if the no-confidence motion against the prime minister succeeds, then the Assembly will appoint the new prime minister,” the top court’s order was quoted as saying by Geo News

The opposition appeared to have the numbers for the no-confidence motion with some allies of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) deciding to part ways. Several members of PTI had also turned rebels. On the day of voting on the no-confidence resolution on April 3, the National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri rejected the no-confidence motion against the government on “constitutional grounds”, after allegations of a “foreign conspiracy” to topple Imran Khan‘s government were made by minister Fawad Chaudhary in the House.

In an address to the nation, shortly afterwards, Imran Khan announced that he had recommended President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly and call for fresh elections. The Pakistani National Assembly has a total strength of 342 members, with the majority mark being 172. The PTI led coalition was formed with the support of 179 members, with Imran Khan‘s PTI having 155 members, and four major allies MQM-P, Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) and Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) having seven, five, five and three members respectively.

Moreover, Sharif who spearheaded the campaign against Imran Khan in 2021, is set to oust the PTI chief over the skyrocketing inflation, corruption and misgovernance. He is the leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly and also the President of the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N), one of the key Opposition parties of Pakistan. He became the President after replacing Nawaz Sharif, his brother and ousted Prime Minister of Pakistan, who has been living in London after being convicted in two corruption cases in Pakistan.

Shehbaz Sharif‘s name was proposed for Prime Ministership in a joint conference of the Opposition parties held on March 30. Addressing a press conference, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Imran Khan “has now lost majority” in the National Assembly and Leader of the Opposition Shehbaz Sharif will soon become the Prime Minister of the country. Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) joined hands with the Opposition and decided to support them to oust Imran Khan as Prime Minister in the no-confidence vote.

PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto had favored Shehbaz Sharif, brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, “will soon” become the prime minister of the country. Earlier, Shehbaz Sharif had tabled the no-confidence motion against Khan’s government in the National Assembly. Sharif is a seasoned politician and holds the record of being the longest-serving Chief Minister of Pakistan’s Punjab province, having served on the post three times.

He became the Chief Minister of Punjab province for the first time in 1997. But, after a 1999 coup by General Pervez Musharraf, he had to leave Pakistan and spent the next eight years in exile in Saudi Arabia. He again became the Chief Minister of Punjab in 2008. Sharif’s third term as Punjab Chief Minister began in 2013 and he served a full term until the defeat of PML-N in the 2018 elections. He was nominated the leader of the Opposition after the 2018 elections.

Meanwhile, Shehbaz Sharif also faces corruption charges. In December 2019, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) froze 23 properties belonging to Shehbaz Sharif and his son, Hamza, accusing them of money laundering. He was arrested by NAB in the same case in September 2020 and incarcerated pending trial. In April 2021, the Lahore High Court released him on bail in a money laundering case. (ANI)

I will not accept imported government, join people in struggle, says Imran Khan

Islamabad [Pakistan], April 8 (ANI): Hitting out at the opposition parties ahead of a no-confidence vote in National Assembly ordered by the Supreme Court, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has said that he will “not accept any scenario in which an imported government is brought in Pakistan” and will go the people.
In his address to the nation on Friday, Imran Khan again strongly raked up the “foreign conspiracy charge” by mentioning the United States and repeatedly told people to struggle and strive for “sovereignty” of the country.

In an indication that his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf government could lose the no-trust vote, he urged people to take to the streets on Sunday evening and said he will join them in their struggle. “You have to come out to protest for Pakistan’s dream on Sunday evening. I will be with you. I will struggle with you. I will not accept any scenario in which an imported government is brought in Pakistan,” he said.
He alleged “open horse-trading” to bring down his government and said democracy in Pakistan has “become a joke”.

Khan expressed disappointment with the Supreme Court verdict which set aside the rejection of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly by the Deputy Speaker. “It is a serious accusation that a foreign power is attempting to oust a government as part of a conspiracy… this serious allegation should at least have been probed,” Khan said.

He also referred to his visit to Russia when Moscow launched a military operation in Ukraine and said a US official had told Pakistan diplomat that he (Imran Khan) should not have visited Russia.” The Prime Minister maintained that the US official had warned the Pakistan diplomat that “if he (Imran Khan) saves himself from the no-confidence motion, then Pakistan will have to face severe consequences”. “There is open horse-trading, politicians are being sold, they are being held in hotels like cattle, they are being auctioned. Pakistan’s democracy has become a joke. What kind of democracy is this and what kind of democracy permits this? The Supreme Court should at least should have taken a suo moto cognizance,” he said.

He also lashed out at PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, who is the opposition’s choice for Prime Minister.
“We have leaders who say beggars are not choosers…he can sacrifice Pakistan’s everything for the sake of his money,” Imran Khan said. In a setback to the Imran Khan government, the Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday set aside the ruling of the Deputy Speaker which rejected the no-confidence motion brought bt opposition parties and restored the National Assembly.

The court gave directions for holding the sitting of the National Assembly “not later than 10:30 am on April 9” for the no-trust vote. The court set aside all the subsequent steps taken after the rejection of the no-confidence vote.

It also declared that the Prime Minister and federal ministers, ministers of state, and advisers stand restored to their respective offices as on April 3. The top court further ruled that the National Assembly session on the no-confidence motion must be convened by Saturday morning and must not be adjourned until a vote on the motion. (ANI)