In line with the order of the Supreme Court of Pakistan (SCP), session of the National Assembly (NA) began in the morning of April 9, 2022, chaired by the ex-Speaker Asad Qaiser who belongs to PTI. Leaders of the PDM and those of the former government of the PTI addressed the National Assembly.
President of PML-N Shehbaz Sharif, including other lawmakers of the PDM hailed the apex court’s rejection of deputy speaker’s ruling of April 3, this year when he had dismissed the voting on the no-trust move, as he termed it “unconstitutional”, saying that it was supported by a foreign power and violated Article 5 of the Constitution which states that loyalty to the state is the duty of every citizen.
Addressing the House, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said: “The opposition was invited to speak, if they believe the communiqué does not exist we will put forth proof…foreign conspiracy to topple the PTI-led government…We want the evidence to be examined before the vote is taken…Horse trading…the question is whether this was constitutional?”
Qureshi reminded that before the SCP’s judgement, the opposition said that they would not accept any decision reviving the “doctrine of necessity” when the matter was subjudice.
PTI leaders remarked that under Article 69 of the Constitution, NA speaker’s ruling has immunity and the SCP can not intervene in the internal affairs of the NA. PTI lawmaker Shireen Mazari called the apex court’s verdict a “judicial coup”.
Earlier, in a televised address to the nation, the former Prime Minister Imran Khan stated: “I will never accept the “imported government” and I will take to the streets…They [incoming government] will end accountability drive by abolishing NAB [National Accountability Bureau]…he was disappointed by the Supreme Court’s ruling against his government…The apex court should’ve at least seen the ‘threat letter’ before issuing the verdict…We also hoped that Supreme Court would also take suo motu notice against horse-trading”.
As regards the ‘threat letter’, the then Premier Imran Khan has repeatedly stated that the foreign hand and the opposition’s motion of no-confidence were linked to each other. He pointed out that the words ‘no-confidence motion’ are clearly mentioned in the letter—contained a warning from America that if the motion was not passed, it would have disastrous consequences—if passed, the US would forgive—former prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz supremo Nawaz Sharif and the senior leadership of PDM were behind this conspiracy.
He elaborated: “Foreign funding is being used to change the government, and the ‘threat letter’ was received on March 7, this year just one day before the tabling of the no-trust move.
Acting US envoy in Islamabad was summoned to the Foreign Ministry on March 31, 2021 to lodge a protest with the US over a threatening letter, hours after the country’s top decision-making body National Security Committee (NSC) which includes top civilian, military and intelligence leadership, voiced concerns over the issue during a meeting chaired by ex-PM Khan.
In his various statements and rallies the then Prime Minister Imran Khan repeatedly remarked that he was paying the price for pursuing an “independent foreign policy”.
In such a situation, the government can announce general elections or otherwise army may be compelled to interfere as it has also to maintain integrity of the country, while securing the national interests.
In this respect, PM Khan had been openly speaking against the US and its Western major allies, accusing his political opponents of being ‘slaves of America’. His criticism of the decision of former President Gen. Pervez Musharraf to join American war on terror, use of drones to target the country, clarifying that Pakistan’s soil would not be used for foreign country’s mission, his recent visit to Moscow despite advice by Jake Sullivan-American President Joe Biden’s national security adviser, not to visit Russia at a time when the Russian troops were invading Ukraine and refusal to the EU countries for pressurizing Pakistan to vote against Russia during the recently held special session of the UN General Assembly in connection with the Russia-Ukraine war, saying if they considered Islamabad their “slave”, particularly irritated Washington.
Khan’s other acts such as favour of China and Russia—their stance for stability in the region, support to collective efforts of China and Iran to assist the regime of Afghan Taliban and strong stand on the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK), while indicating inaction of the US-led West’s major powers against New Delhi annoyed America.
It was also because of PM Imran’s efforts on Islamophobia at the UN which adopted a resolution and fixed March 15 as an international day against Islamophobia.
In fact, Pakistan cannot trust on the US as the latter has been following paradoxical strategy toward Islamabad.
After the end of the Cold War, the US left both Pakistan and Afghanistan to face the fallout of the Afghan war 1.
After the 9/11 tragedy, America, again, needed Pakistan’s help. Pakistan was granted the status of non-NATO ally by the US.
When the US-led allies felt that they are failing in coping with the stiff resistance of the Taliban in Afghanistan, particularly America started accusing Pak Army and ISI of supporting the Afghan Taliban.
Last year, Prime Minister Imran Khan stated that Afghanistan has broken the “shackles of slavery,” as the Taliban returned to power.
Nonetheless, extraordinary developments of midnight of April 9 and April 10 (2022) surprised the nation, while giving a negative message to the world. In this connection, filing of an emergency petition by Advocate Adnan Iqbal in the Islamabad High Court, seeking to restrain Prime Minister Imran Khan from de-notifying Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa is notable.
The staff of the Supreme Court had also been directed to arrive at midnight. Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial arrived at the apex court. According to the sources, the Supreme Court might initiate contempt of court proceedings against the National Assembly speaker for not implementing its order of holding voting on no-trust motion against PM Imran Khan within the stipulated time.
In the meantime, NA Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Suri had resigned. NA Speaker Qaiser said that he could not take part in a foreign conspiracy to oust the prime minister. PML-N’s Ayaz Sadiq who chaired the session conducted voting of no-trust move and announced that with a majority of 174 votes, the no-confidence motion had been passed against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Rejecting various false reports of the foreign media, the ISPR on April 10, 2022 termed a report by the BBC Urdu “fake” that claimed an unpleasant meeting between PTI Chairman Imran Khan and army chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa hours before Imran’s ouster through a no-trust vote. The BBC claimed that the former premier had removed Gen. Bajwa as the army chief. PM imran rejected this baseless rumour.
Earlier, opposition leaders and PM Khan were also saying that the military establishment was “neutral” in the current political crisis.
Moreover, the ex-Prime Minister Khan sent the ‘threat letter’ to important personalities like Supreme Court’s Chief Justice Bandial and army chief Gen. Bajwa.
While, leaders of the joint opposition parties challenged the authenticity of the ‘threat letter’—repeatedly said that the letter was a ploy of PM Khan to castigate the no-confidence motion.
And the PTI on April 10, 2022 staged countrywide protests against the “imported government” being constituted in the country as a result of a foreign conspiracy.
Now, National Assembly has selected Shehbaz Sharif as the new prime minister after the PTI MNAs boycotted the election and resigned en masse from the lower house and would also launch a mass movement against the PDM regime after Eid. However, the political crisis will further aggravate, and could result in to civil war. In such a situation, the government can announce general elections or otherwise army may be compelled to interfere as it has also to maintain integrity of the country, while securing the national interests—as politicians always try to sacrifice these interests for their personal interests.
As regards the conspiracy against Pakistan, the reality is that America, India and some Western countries are acting according to the Zionist agenda to denuclearize Pakistan, because the latter is the only nuclear country in the Islamic world.
At this critical hour, the government and the opposition leaders, including all other segments of society must sign a charter of democracy by showing selfless national unity to pull the country out of the ongoing serious crises.
