Imran Khan Loses Midnight No-Confidence Motion, First Pakistan Premier To Be Ousted Through Trust Vote

Imran Khan said he should not be detained after leaving the chair. There should be no arrests of other ministers.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan. (Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan lost a crucial trust vote in the National Assembly past midnight, becoming the first premier in the country’s history to be removed through a no-confidence motion.

Khan, 69, was not present in the lower house at the time of voting. His party lawmakers staged a walkout.

The joint Opposition secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the prime minister on a day full of drama and multiple adjournments of the lower house.

Earlier, Pakistan National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri resigned on Saturday night minutes after the crucial session of the house resumed after a break of over three hours.

Embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan on Saturday night rejected reports that he had dismissed Army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa, amidst the raging political and constitutional crisis in the country over a no-confidence motion against him in Parliament.

Before voting on the no-confidence motion, Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan presented three conditions before the nation.

Condition 1: Imran Khan stated that he should not be detained after leaving the chair. There should be no arrests of other ministers.

Condition 2: Cases shall not be brought under the National Anti-Bribery Act (NAB). Instead of voting, Imran Khan has requested NRO.

Condition 3: Imran Khan stated that Shahbaz Sharif should be replaced as Prime Minister.

Pak Assembly Witnesses Multiple Adjournments, No-Trust Vote Against Imran Doubtful

Multiple adjournments and heated arguments marred the crucial session of Pakistan's Parliament that convened on Saturday in response to a landmark Supreme Court ruling to decide the fate of embattled Prime Minister Imran Khan, but voting on a no-confidence motion against him appeared to be a long way off before the end of the day, Geo News reported.

Meanwhile, the Pakistani People's Party has filed a complaint against 20 deviant members with National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser in an attempt to remove dissident party members. Under Article 63, a complaint was made against the members (A).

Nationwide Protest On April 10

Prime Minister Imran Khan has called for widespread rallies for avoiding voting on a critical no-confidence resolution against his administration. Imran Khan asked Pakistanis to come to the streets after the Sunday evening prayer and protest 'peacefully' in a televised address on Friday.

Imran Khan asked young people to come to the streets in his speech, urging them to do so following his statewide rally in 2018.

"All of you will have to come out on Sunday after evening prayer to protest, to peacefully protest. I again say that should never indulge in violence. It should be a peaceful protest," said Imran Khan.