Pakistan speaker dismisses no-trust motion against PM Imran Khan
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Pakistan's National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri on Sunday dismissed the no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
He termed the motion contradictory to Article 5 of the Pakistan Constitution.
Suri chaired today's (3 April) session after opposition parties, in a surprise move, filed a no-confidence motion against Speaker Asad Qaiser, reports Pakistan-based English newspaper Dawn.
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As per the mentioned article:
- Loyalty to the State is the basic duty of every citizen
- Obedience to the Constitution and law is the [inviolable] obligation of every citizen wherever he may be and of every other person for the time being within Pakistan
Taking the floor shortly after the session began, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry said that loyalty to the state was the basic duty of every citizen under Article 5.
He reiterated the premier's earlier claims that a foreign conspiracy was behind the move to oust the government.
Earlier, the district administration of Islamabad -- the capital of Pakistan -- imposed Section 144 to avoid any untoward incidents ahead of the crucial parliament session to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The city's deputy commissioner issued a statement recently stating that the Red Zone (the place where govt and military buildings are located) has been sealed with big containers and barbed wires and with tightened security, reported Pakistan media.
Authorities have prohibited all kinds of gatherings in areas in and outside the Red Zone within a 1km radius and also completely banned pillion riding in the city for Sunday (4 April).
Meanwhile, a notification issued by Islamabad's district magistrate prohibited 'all kinds of gatherings of five or more persons, processions/rallies and demonstrations inside the Red Zone.
After weeks of political unrest and attempts to win back supporters Imran Khan -- whose tenure as the nation's leader hangs in balance -- faced the crucial no-trust in parliament.
The move came as he on Saturday urged the country`s youth to stage "peaceful protests" against a "foreign conspiracy" allegedly hatched against him and his government.
On Sunday, giant metal containers blocked roads and entrances to the capital's diplomatic enclave and to Parliament and other sensitive government installations in the capital. A defiant Khan called for supporters to stage demonstrations countrywide to protest the vote.
Khan has accused the opposition of being in cahoots with the US to unseat him, saying America wants him gone over his foreign policy choices that often favour China and Russia. Khan has also been a strident opponent of America's war on terror and Pakistan's partnership in that war with Washington, reported UNB citing AP.
Khan has circulated a memo that he insists provides proof that Washington conspired with Pakistan's opposition to unseat him because America wants "me, personally, gone...and everything would be forgiven."
A loss for Khan would give his opponents the opportunity to form a new government and rule until elections, which are scheduled to be held next year. The opposition could also choose to call early elections.
Pakistan's main opposition parties, whose ideologies span the spectrum from left to right to radically religious, have been rallying for Khan's ouster almost since he was elected in 2018.
Khan's win was mired in controversy amid widespread accusations that Pakistan's powerful army helped his Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (Justice) Party to an election win.
Asfandyar Mir, a senior expert with the Washington-based US Institute of Peace, said the military's involvement in the 2018 polls undermined Khan's legitimacy from the outset.
"The movement against Imran Khan's government is inseparable from his controversial rise to power in the 2018 election, which was manipulated by the army to push Khan over the line," said Mir. "That really undermined the legitimacy of the electoral exercise and created the grounds for the current turmoil. "
Pakistan's military has directly ruled Pakistan for more than half of its 75-year history, overthrowing successive democratically elected governments. For the remainder of that time, it has indirectly manipulated elected governments from the sidelines.
The opposition has also accused Khan of economic mismanagement, blaming him for rising prices and high inflation. Still, Khan's government is credited with maintaining a foreign reserve account of $18 billion and bringing in a record $29 billion last year from overseas Pakistanis.
Khan's anti-corruption reputation is credited with encouraging expatriate Pakistanis to send money home. His government has also received international praise for its handling of the Covid-19 crisis and implementing so-called "smart lockdowns" rather than countrywide shutdowns. As a result, several of Pakistan's key industries, such as construction, have survived.
Khan's leadership style has often been criticized as confrontational.
"Khan's biggest failing has been his insistence on remaining a partisan leader to the bitter end," said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.
"He hasn't been willing to extend a hand across the aisle to his rivals," said Kugelman. "He's remained stubborn and unwilling to make important compromises. As a result, he's burned too many bridges at a moment when he badly needs all the help he can get."
Khan's insistence there is US involvement in attempts to oust him exploits a deep-seated mistrust among many in Pakistan of US intentions, particularly following 9/11, said Mir.
Washington has often berated Pakistan for doing too little to fight Islamic militants even as thousands of Pakistanis have died in militant attacks and the army has lost more than 5,000 soldiers. Pakistan has been attacked for aiding Taliban insurgents while also being asked to bring them to the peace table.
"The fact that it has such easy traction in Pakistan speaks to some of the damage US foreign policy has done in the post 9/11 era in general and in Pakistan in particular," said Mir. "There is a reservoir of anti-American sentiment in the country, which can be instrumentalized easily by politicians like Khan."
