ISLAMABAD: Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said he was “disappointed” but accepted the Supreme Court’s decision to reinstate the country’s parliament, after he dissolved it in an apparent move to dodge a crucial no-confidence vote against him earlier this week.
Opposition parties brought a no-trust motion against Khan in parliament on March 8, blaming him for the economic meltdown and foreign policy failures and bad governance.
Khan, who has lost parliamentary majority after defections by party lawmakers and coalition partners, was due to face the no-trust vote on Sunday. But National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri disallowed the vote, saying it was motivated by a “foreign conspiracy” and hence “unconstitutional.”
The president then dissolved parliament on Khan’s advice, triggering a political and constitutional upheaval in the South Asian country. However, the Supreme Court on Thursday declared the deputy speaker’s ruling void and reinstated parliament, allowing the no-trust vote tomorrow, on Saturday.
“The Supreme Court verdict that came, I was disappointed,” PM Khan said in his address with the nation, televised Friday night.
“But let me clarify that I respect Supreme Court and Pakistan’s judiciary... and whatever is the judiciary’s decision we accept it.”
Last month, Khan spoke of a purported letter that contained “threats” to his government from a foreign country. The Pakistani premier later named the country to be the United States (US), saying Washington was angered by his pursuit of an independent foreign policy for Pakistan and wanted to out of power.
Pakistani officials have said the letter was a cable written by a former Pakistani ambassador to the US, who conveyed threats by a “senior foreign official.” Khan says the move was part of a conspiracy for a “regime change” in Pakistan. Both Washington and the Pakistani opposition have denied the allegation.
The prime minister said on Friday he wanted the top court to at least see the cable before ruling against the government’s moves.
“A country topples your government through a conspiracy from abroad,” he said. “The Supreme Court should at least have seen the letter... whether we are speaking truth or not.”
PM Khan further vowed to mobilize the masses after the vote of no-confidence and urged his supporters to take to streets after the Isha prayers on Sunday.
“I repeat you are never to engage in vandalism or confrontation,” he told his supporters. “You are to safeguard your future, your democracy and your sovereignty. This is your duty.”
He said history never forgave anyone and it recorded whatever role people played.
“Which Supreme Court verdicts are good and which are harmful for this country, [if] you see history all this comes to the fore,” the premier said.
“A conscious nation always stands up for its rights. You are not to accept this slavery and stand up like a free nation.”
PM Khan said he would struggle alongside the masses and not accept any kind of “imported government” that was imposed on Pakistan.
In a separate televised interview Friday afternoon, Khan told his supporters they would now have to guard the sovereignty of the South Asian country and stand up to the alleged “regime change” attempts by foreign powers.
“As long as the nation won’t side with what is good...this attempt for a regime change in the country from abroad. Now the nation has to guard it,” Khan said in an interview televised on the state-run Pakistan Television Friday.
“This is not about Imran Khan now. If the nation will not defend its freedom, sovereignty and self-respect, then who will?”
The lower house of parliament has been convened for a session on Saturday at 10:30am, the speaker’s office said in an order paper. The vote, brought by the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, is the fourth point on the agenda.
The opposition requires 172 votes in the 342-member National Assembly. If Khan loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister.
Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said after the court ruling that the opposition had nominated him to take over should Khan be ousted.
Pakistan PM says accepts court’s decision to reinstate parliament, calls protest on Sunday
https://arab.news/67mzn
Pakistan PM says accepts court’s decision to reinstate parliament, calls protest on Sunday
- PM Imran Khan dodged a no-trust vote on Sunday, followed by dissolution of parliament
- On Thursday, the Supreme Court reinstated parliament, allowed the no-confidence vote
Karachi-bound bus crashes in fog, killing five in eastern Pakistan
- Motorway closure forced the bus onto an alternate route, unfamiliar to the driver
- Pakistan weather office reports visibility as low as 30 meters in parts of Punjab
ISLAMABAD: At least five people were killed and around 28 injured early on Wednesday when a passenger bus traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi plunged into a ravine near Dhok Pathan in eastern Pakistan, after the driver diverted from a closed motorway due to dense fog, police said.
Poor visibility during Pakistan’s winter months frequently makes long-distance travel hazardous, prompting authorities to shut motorways and major roads during severe fog to prevent accidents. However, traffic mishaps involving both light and heavy vehicles are not uncommon during such conditions, sometimes triggering multi-vehicle pile-ups.
“A passenger bus traveling from Rawalpindi to Karachi plunged into a ravine near Dhok Pathan, killing at least five people and injuring around 28 others,” Adeel Sarfraz, a senior police officer and station house officer in the area near Chakwal, told Arab News over the phone.
“The accident occurred at around 2 a.m.,” he added. “Since the motorway was closed due to dense fog, the driver diverted the bus onto the GT [Grand Trunk] Road. However, the driver was unfamiliar with the route, and poor visibility caused by the fog led to the accident.”
Winter fog is a recurring hazard across Pakistan’s plains, particularly in Punjab and upper Sindh, where conditions can deteriorate sharply during late night and early morning hours.
Data shared by the Pakistan Meteorological Department earlier in the day showed extremely low visibility across several districts, with levels dropping to 30 meters in Narowal and Sheikhupura, 40 meters in Gujranwala and 50 meters in Faisalabad, Sialkot Airport and Toba Tek Singh.
Levels of 100 meters were reported in cities including Okara, Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Sargodha, while some southern Punjab districts recorded relatively better conditions at around 200 meters.
The weather office warned that moderate to dense fog is likely to persist over much of Punjab, upper Sindh and plain areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, advising travelers — especially those driving on highways and motorways — to exercise caution during nighttime and early morning hours.
Road accidents are also common in Pakistan due to poor infrastructure, speeding and limited enforcement of safety regulations, with fog-related incidents adding to seasonal risks during winter.
