Pakistan opposition vows fight as PM dodges toppling
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Pakistan's opposition is making accusations in the face of the prime minister as he called for the dissolution of Parliament with the approval of the president.
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Prime Minister Imran Khan is attending the National Assembly session at the Parliament House
Political disputes in Pakistan have taken to a brand new level on Sunday, as Prime Minister Imran Khan dodged an attempt for his premiership and sought early elections after getting approval from the President on the dissolution of Parliament, which prompted criticism from the opposition, who called the move "treasonous" and pledged to uphold their fight against the prime minister.
Pakistan's Prime Minister, Imran Khan, called for the President to dissolve parliament and hold early elections Sunday, a move that took place after members of the National Assembly (Parliament) presented a motion for a vote of no-confidence against the Prime Minister. The deputy speaker of Parliament, however, blocked the motion, ruling it was unconstitutional and part of a foreign conspiracy.
Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif called the deputy speaker's move "nothing short of high treason" and pledged there would be consequences for "blatant and brazen violation of the Constitution," on Twitter. He also said he hoped the Supreme Court would "uphold" the Constitution.
It is nothing short of a high treason. IK has pushed the country into anarchy. Niazi & his cohort will not be allowed to go scot-free. There will be consequences for blatant & brazen violation of the Constitution. Hope SC will play it's role to uphold the Constitution.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 3, 2022
The head of the Pakistan People's Party, another opposition party, vowed to hold a sit-in at parliament, telling reporters they were also "moving to the Supreme Court today."
The court's chief justice said the country's top judicial body would hear the matter on Monday, explaining that any directions given by the president and premier would be subject to the orders of the Supreme Court.
The National Security Committee, according to PM Khan, accepted his evidence of the conspiracy against him.
"When the country's highest national security body confirms this, then the [parliamentary] proceedings were irrelevant, the numbers were irrelevant," he stressed.
US has no hand in a foreign conspiracy?
Washington was quick to rebut Khan's accusations, saying the US had no involvement.
A State Department spokesperson told Reuters that there was no truth to the allegations, claiming that the US "respect[s] and support[s] Pakistan's constitutional process and the rule of law."
Pakistan's PM stated on Friday that his government gave an official note to the United States Embassy in Islamabad to protest Washington's interference in the country's affairs.
In an address he gave on state TV, Khan said there was unacceptable interference in Pakistan's democratic institutions, which is why an interim government should be formed to hold fresh elections.
Since its independence from the UK in 1947, no PM has finished his term in Pakistan, and Khan has been facing the biggest challenge to his post since his election in 2018, with his political opponents accusing him of economic mismanagement.
The developments in Pakistan are unfolding as the country undergoes high inflation and diminishing foreign reserves while in a harsh IMF bailout program.
