Imran's party plan to postpone no trust vote counting through violence: Pak media

The Pakistan government and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leadership have reportedly planned to violently stop the opposition legislators from heading to the parliament and even prevent them from voting on the crucial no-trust motion on Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Violent protests would be held inside and outside the Pakistani parliament and counting of votes would be postponed through violence in the House, reports The News International citing sources. 

Pakistan's opposition parties' battle to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan through a no-confidence motion has entered the do-or-die stage, and its result will emerge Sunday (3 April) when the voting on the resolution will be held in the National Assembly under Speaker Asad Qaiser.

The Islamabad Capital Territory administration said on Saturday that all arrangements had been made for smooth conduct of voting on the resolution in the National Assembly and all roads leading to the Red Zone had been sealed.

Pakistan PM Khan suggests he might not accept vote to oust him

Prominent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir told Naya Pakistan programme host on Saturday (2 April) that the PTI had instructed its supporters to gather near the Parliament to prevent and thrash any opposition MP or those intending to vote against Imran Khan.

They have been clearly directed not to let Opposition MPs cast vote inside the Parliament, he added. 

The PTI leadership has called its workers to Islamabad to subvert the voting process. Sources said the PTI supporters would be brought to the parliament gate and they would resort to violence to stop the MNAs from entering the National Assembly.

Hamid Mir said there were undeniable proof that the PTI activists would be used to disrupt the no-trust polling process. He said that other tactics including detention were also on the cards against the important opposition leaders.

However, a spokesperson for the Pakistani Prime Minister's House denied all these stories. A spokesperson said late Saturday night that a channel was running fake news that the opposition MNAs would be hindered from proceeding towards the Parliament House.

The spokesperson said the PM House denied the fake news and condemned the propaganda and added that Imran Khan believed in democratic process and he would never indulge in any undemocratic activities.

Hamid Mir, quoting sources said, PM Imran Khan summoned Speaker Asad Qaiser and Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan to a critical meeting "and instructed them to adjourn the NA session using some rules and deny vote counting". Both the speaker and the attorney general, however, advised the prime minister against the move, saying it is a constitutional process which cannot be subverted, but failed to persuade Imran Khan from backing off from the move, who demanded them "forcefully to block the vote counting at all costs and adjourn the house".

Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has deemed the no-trust motion to be a "foreign country's plot". Khan, 69, has faced mounting criticism of his performance, including his management of a troubled economy of the nuclear armed country. 

Political analysts said Khan enjoyed the support of the military when he won an election to become prime minister in 2018 but he later lost the generals' favour over various wrangles. Khan has denied ever having the backing of the military, and the military, which has ruled Pakistan for about half its history, denies involvement in civilian politics.

A parliamentary debate on the vote against Khan was set to begin on Thursday (31 March), but the speaker of the assembly, a member of Khan's party, immediately adjourned the session to Sunday.

Opposition parties say Khan has failed to revive an economy battered by the coronavirus pandemic or fulfil promises to make his government more transparent and accountable, and have put forward a no-confidence motion due to be voted on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Pakistan's opposition leader in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif on Saturday said all opposition members would reach the parliament come what may. He said no violence or negative tactics could stop them from reaching the National Assembly and casting their vote to send packing Imran Khan.

Shehbaz Sharif also slammed Imran Khan on Saturday for "trying to divide the nation and pushing the country towards a civil war."

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the opposition had repeatedly asked Imran Khan to take an honourable exit and accept his defeat.

"He should have tendered his resignation. Now that the voting [on the no-trust move] is taking place, it should take place in a peaceful manner. It is unfortunate that this defeated man is making efforts to disrupt peace," he said while addressing a press conference at Zardari House, Islamabad, on Saturday evening.