Imran Khan faces trust vote after top court order: 'Will fight till last ball' | World News - Hindustan Times
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Imran Khan faces trust vote after top court order: 'Will fight till last ball'

Apr 08, 2022 06:03 AM IST

Pakistan political crisis: The court's 13-point-order came after back-to-back hearings this week. 

Pakistan's Supreme Court on Thursday delivered a huge blow to Imran Khan's plans of fresh elections - in what is being viewed as an attempt to save face - as it restored the National Assembly days after its dissolution was ordered by president Arif Alvi. Massive criticism had followed after an unprecedented rejection of the no confidence motion against Khan in the parliament by deputy speaker Qasim Suri, a member of the ruling party. In the aftermath, the opposition approached the top court, calling the move "unconstitutional". Imran Khan has been under opposition  attack over what they say is his failure to keep the country's economy on track. He now faces another trust vote on Saturday. 

The Supreme Court’s verdict against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan led to immediate celebrations outside the court by opposition activists. (HT_PRINT)
The Supreme Court’s verdict against Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan led to immediate celebrations outside the court by opposition activists. (HT_PRINT)

Here are top ten updates on Pakistan's political crisis:

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1. Shortly after the court's order, Imran Khan  said he had called for cabinet and parliamentary meetings.  "I have called a cabinet mtg tomorrow as well as our parl party mtg; & tomorrow evening I will address the nation. My message to our nation is I have always & will continue to fight for Pak till the last ball. (sic)," the 69-year-old cricketer-politician said in a late-night tweet. 

2. "The advice tendered by the Prime Minister on or about 03.04.2022 to the President to dissolve the Assembly was contrary to the Constitution and of no legal effect," Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial was quoted as saying by news agency Reuters on Thursday.

3.   The court's 13-point-order came after back-to-back hearings this week. The chief justice sharply criticised the government's move; on Thursday, the court called the decision to dissolve the National Assembly "unconstitutional". 

4.  Shehbaz Sharif, the leader of opposition in the National Assembly, after the court order tweeted: "An epoch-making day!  Mubarak to all who supported, defended & campaigned for the supremacy of the Constitution.  Today, politics of lies, deceit & allegations has been buried.  People of Pakistan have won! God bless Pakistan. (sic)".  Shehbaz Sharif had emerged as the opposition's choice to replace Khan. 

5. Visuals showed opposition members celebrating the landmark order of the top court.  The opposition parties need 172 members in the 342-member house to oust Khan. 

6.  "Pakistan's institutions and its Constitution have been safeguarded. God willing, the process of no confidence will now be completed and we will conduct electoral reforms and head towards clean and transparent elections," Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, who had first announced the opposition's decision to move the Supreme Court, said after the verdict. 

7.  However,  the decision was not welcomed by the ministers of the Imran Khan government. "This unfortunate decision has exacerbated the political crisis in Pakistan. Immediate elections could have brought stability to the country. Unfortunately, the importance of the people has been overlooked. Let's see how things go now,"  information and broadcasting minister Fawad Chaudhry tweeted.'

8. The country's army, which had earlier backed Khan when he was elected to power in 2018, has been silent over the current crisis. 

9. Despite Imran Khan's direct attacks on the United States, General Qamar Javed Bajwa told a security summit in Islamabad over the weekend that Pakistan wants good relations with China, a major investor, and also with the United States, the country's largest export market.

10.  Khan claimed the opposition had colluded with the United States for "regime change". In its 75 years of existence, no prime minister in Pakistan has been able to complete a term. 

(With inputs from AP, Reuters) 

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