Members of the joint opposition strongly protested the dismissal of the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, as well as the premier’s suggestion to dissolve legislative assemblies.
Following the session of the lower house, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Maryam Nawaz took to her official Twitter handle to state that no one should be allowed to “distort” the Constitution to save their seat.
Dubbing the premier “crazy and obsessive”, the PML-N leader said that it will be the “law of the jungle” in the country if Imran was not punished for his today’s actions.
Talking to media personnel outside the NA, PML-N Spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that the prime minister was a traitor who had lost the support of the majority and therefore, could not dissolve assemblies nor could he dismiss the no-trust move through Suri.
Calling Imran’s move “unconstitutional”, she said the premier’s actions will be taken to the Supreme Court. Marriyum also told the nation to be ready for a “surprise” from the opposition.
Pakistan People’s Party leader Sherry Rehman also said that a prime minister who had lost his majority could not dissolve the assembly.
“All actions today are unconstitutional, illegal and will take the country straight into a dangerous constitutional crisis,” she tweeted.
She stated that the opposition did not accept a “minority” prime minister’s decision or the speaker’s ruling.
PPP’s Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar took to Twitter to condemn the ruling party’s action, terming it a “blatant violation” of the Constitution and the rules.
The opposition member added that the apex court cannot and should not sit by as a mere spectator. “The chief justice should immediately take to the bench and save the country from a constitutional crisis!” he added.
PPP member Aseef Bhutto Zardari said that “the selected PM just ran away from Parliament, a Parliament he has lost his majority in”.
“The speaker of the National Assembly’s unconstitutional and undemocratic holding of proceedings today will be taken up in court,” she stated, adding that the opposition’s next stop was the Supreme Court.
Chairperson of the National Democratic Movement Mohsin Dawar called the move a “historical low in” parliamentary history, which showed the “fragility” of parliamentary democracy.
“The Deputy Speaker and the Prime Minister along with his team should be tried under Article 6,” he said, urging the apex court to step in and resolve the “constitutional crisis”.
PML-N member and MNA Ahsan Iqbal hoped for the “unprecedented humiliation” of PM Imran, claiming that Imran did not “possess even an iota” of grace or honour.
