IMRAN’S ADDRESS
after Thursday’s verdict. “People of Pakistan have won!”
Khan taunted the opposition to announce new elections and face the nation with him. “That is why I dissolved the assembly because I want people to elect the new government,” he said. “I am ready for the struggle… join me in peaceful protest,” said Khan, who has effectively lost the majority in the 342-member house.
A session of the lower house of parliament has been called at 10.30am on Saturday, the speaker’s office said in an order paper. The vote, brought by the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, is the fourth point on the agenda.
The opposition parties need 172 members in the house to orchestrate the downfall of Prime Minister Khan and already they showed the support of more than the needed strength.
Khan faces the possibility of being the first prime minister in Pakistan’s history to be voted out in a no-confidence motion.
In a landmark 5-0 verdict, a five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday unanimously struck down the deputy speaker’s ruling on the rejection of the no-confidence motion against Khan and ordered restoration of the National Assembly, saying the prime minister’s move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was “unconstitutional”.
Khan in recent weeks has talked about a “threat letter” and alleged that it was part of a foreign conspiracy to remove him as he was not acceptable for following an independent foreign policy.
Khan repeated his allegations that a US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan.
During the address, Khan also heaped praises on India, saying, “India is a very self respecting nation and no superpower can dictate terms to India.”
He then asked his people: “If we have to live like this, then why did we get freedom (from the British).” He asked the people to come out and reject the foreign conspiracy to remove the government. “If you are not standing up, no one will come to save you,” he said. A former cricket star who took office in 2018, Khan said he would not recognise any opposition government that replaced him.