Pakistan PM Imran Khan calls for fresh elections, advises President to dissolve National Assembly
Highlight
- Imran Khan addressed Pakistan after the no-confidence motion against him was rejected.
- In a surprise move, the embattled PM called for fresh elections.
- He advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan addressed the nation on Sunday, just after Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri rejected a no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly. In a surprise move, the embattled PM called for fresh elections and even said that he has advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly.
He congratulated the people of Pakistan on the rejection of the no-confidence motion. “I call for fresh elections because it is the people who decide the fate of Pakistan, not some foreign conspirators.” Imran Khan had been suggesting for a long time that people outside Pakistan were involved in the intention to oust him as Prime Minister.
Khan’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) tweeted a picture of him, looking happy with how things went in the assembly today. “Congratulations Pakistan!” read the tweet.
Suri presided over the crucial session after opposition parties filed a no-confidence motion against Speaker Asad Kaiser. Opposition MPs, who earlier appeared confident of the success of the no-confidence motion as they made their way into the Parliament House, opposed the decision.
Opposition parties need 172 members of the 342-member National Assembly to plan for Khan’s defeat and have already claimed the support of 177 members, which is more than the strength needed to remove the prime minister.
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