Pakistan PM Imran Khan advises president to dissolve parliament
The announcement comes after country's deputy speaker throws out no-trust move against Imran
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan, in an address to the nation on Sunday (3 April), said he had advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve assemblies.
Khan's announcement came moments after Pakistan's National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was chairing Sunday's session, dismissed the no-confidence motion against the Pakistani prime minister, terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution, reports The Dawn,
He said he had written to the president with advice to dissolve the assemblies, adding that the democrats should go to the public and elections should be held so the people could decide who they wanted in power.
Imran Khan congratulated Pakistan for the no-trust motion being dismissed, saying the deputy speaker had "rejected the attempt of changing the regime [and] the foreign conspiracy".
"I want to congratulate the entire nation as the NA deputy speaker rejected the move to change the regime in Pakistan by a foreign conspiracy," he said.
He also said that he had been receiving messages from many people who were worried, adding that "treason" was being committed in front of the nation.
"I want to say, 'ghabrana nahi hai' (do not worry). God is watching over Pakistan," Khan said.
Imran alleged that the "billions of rupees" that had been spent to "buy" lawmakers' votes would be wasted and advised those who had taken money to donate it to orphanages and the poor.
"Prepare for elections. No corrupt forces will decide what the future of the country will be. When the assemblies will be dissolved, the procedure for the next elections and the caretaker government will begin," he added.