Pakistan's no-confidence vote against PM Khan postponed
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This comes after the country's Supreme Court said the suspension of parliament and cabinet was unconstitutional and ordered the former to reconvene.
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Pakistani PM Imran Khan
Pakistan's Parliament was adjourned before the no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan, and it did not reconvene on Saturday as political uncertainty gripped the nuclear-armed country.
Members of Khan's party said on Friday that they will strive to postpone the vote as long as possible, following Khan's pledge to "fight" any attempt to oust him, citing foreign conspiracy against Islamabad and shining at a "threat letter" from the US because he refused to establish US military bases in Pakistan.
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.
Khan's supporters had blocked a similar no-confidence vote last Sunday, but the country's Supreme Court determined the action was unconstitutional and ordered parliament to reconvene.
Speaker Asad Qaiser, a Khan ally, said the session would resume at 12:30 pm (0730 GMT), but an hour later, there were no signs of parliament reconvening.
Read more: Pakistan's cabinet and parliament dissolved, Imran Khan to remain PM
Before the legislature adjourned, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, who is anticipated to become prime minister if Khan is removed, addressed the assembly, encouraging Qaiser to make the vote a priority.
The Speaker said he would implement the court order "in true letter and spirit."
Read more: Imran Khan: "Pakistan Would Never Again Partner with US in War"
The opposition and some commentators claim Khan has a rift with the military, something both he and the military denied. The army has dominated the country for half of its 75-year post-colonial history, and no prime minister has served a full five-year tenure. Imran Khan has so far faced the biggest challenge to his premiership since being elected in 2018, as his political opponents have been accusing him of economic mismanagement.
Khan vows no "imported government"
Khan, who was elected with strong popular support, said late Friday that he was dissatisfied with the court verdict but accepted it. After dissolving parliament, he called for an election, but he said he would not recognize any opposition government imposed by the West.
"I will not accept an imported government," he told the nation in a late-night address, suggesting that the move to oust him was part of a foreign conspiracy and calling for peaceful protests on Sunday. "I'm ready for a struggle."
Read more: Imran Khan will not resign, cites US interference in Pakistan
As the turbulence rages on, Pakistan's currency fell to all-time lows on Thursday, and the country's foreign exchange reserves plummeted. The central bank increased its key interest rate by 2.5 percentage points, the largest increase since 1996.
If Khan loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister.
Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, claimed after the court decision that the opposition had chosen him to succeed Khan if he was removed.
