Pakistan political crisis: Parliament dissolved, Imran Khan calls for early polls; Opposition moves Supreme Court

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 3

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan bowled a yorker at his rivals on Sunday by getting the presidential nod for the dissolution of Parliament. Dubbing the move as “unconstitutional”, the Opposition parties approached the apex court to legally challenge the decision.

Imran Khan ‘ceases’ to be PM, notifies Pak Cabinet Secy

A late night notification from Pakistan government’s Cabinet Division said Imran Khan had “stopped holding” the office of Prime Minister with immediate effect.

The last word

All orders & actions by PM & President regarding dissolution of the National Assembly will be subject to the court’s order. Pak CJ

The notification was issued hours after the Pakistan Supreme Court said that all orders and actions taken by the President, Prime Minister and National Assembly Deputy Speaker on the politically tumultuous day in Islamabad would be subject to its ruling.

The brief ruling by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, who adjourned the case to Monday, put under legal scrutiny Pakistan President Arif Alvi’s dissolution of the National Assembly (NA) on the advice of Prime Minister Imran Khan after Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri blocked a no-confidence motion against the government. The day began with Suri’s ruling that lasted less than the intonation of Quranic verses heralding the start of the session. Khan’s address that he had called for fresh elections was equally brief and loaded with insinuations of a foreign hand being behind his loss of majority in the Assembly. By late evening, several lawyers, including Supreme Court Bar Association president Ahsan Bhoon, had petitioned the apex court after Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif said his party had decided to challenge the decision. Despite the weekend, a three-member Bench held the initial hearing and issued notices to all respondents, including the Pakistan President and Assembly Deputy Speaker. It also ordered all parties not to take any unconstitutional measures. The government’s attack vested solely on the point that a foreign power was trying for regime change with the help of some Pakistani politicians.

The opening salvo was fired by I&B Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who said the “letter” proved that the no-confidence motion was an effective operation for regime change by a foreign power.

As the motion was against Article 5 (1), he said loyalty to the state was the basic duty of every citizen, urging the Chair to give a ruling on the legality of the no-confidence move. Even before the Opposition could voice its views, Suri, reading rapidly from a prepared text, dismissed the no-confidence motion.

Khan said “such a big conspiracy with a foreign agenda to bring down a government of 22 crore people has failed” and called on the people not to be afraid (ghabrana nahi hai).

“Pakistan is a democratic society. Let there be elections,” he said while advising those who had taken crores of rupees to bring down his government to spend the money in orphanages.

A stunned Opposition refused to leave the House and carried out a mock session after power was switched off.

Army: Nothing to do with the situation

Pakistan’s powerful army said it had ‘absolutely nothing’ to do with the prevailing political situation in the country. Military spokesman Maj Gen Babar Iftikhar, speaking with a private TV channel, said: “The army has absolutely nothing to do with what happened in the National Assembly today.”

Imran blames US diplomat Donald Lu

Imran claimed US diplomat Donald Lu, the top US official dealing with South Asia in the State Department, had warned Pak envoy Asad Majeed there would be ‘implications’ if he (Imran) survived the no-trust vote. PTI

Political, constitutional crisis deepens in Pak

• Dy Speaker Qasim Suri dismisses no-trust vote, terms it ‘unconstitutional’
• Imran Khan, effectively without majority in the 342-member House, addresses the nation saying ‘prepare for elections’
• President Alvi’s office says National Assembly dissolved on PM’s advice
• Chief Justice takes suo motu notice of situation. Court bars parties from taking unconstitutional measures, adjourns hearing till Monday

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