ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s ruling party submitted on Saturday a reference to the parliament speaker against dissident lawmakers, seeking their disqualification, as delays dragged on over a vote to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan.
The reference, filed against 20 members the National Assembly who abandoned Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, urges speaker to start the process to de-seat them and impose a lifetime ban on them for deciding to support the opposition in a no-trust motion against the prime minister.
The office of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser confirmed to Arab News on Saturday the reference had been filed.
The move is seen as an attempt to put pressure on the defectors who are set to cast their ballots in favor of the no-trust resolution against Khan that was scheduled to be put to vote on Saturday but has been delayed since the early morning.
Khan is widely expected to lose, as the opposition says it has the support of more than 172 out of 342 lawmakers. PTI members had suggested on Friday they would try to delay the vote as much as possible.
The government has also prepared a review petition against a Supreme Court verdict that on Thursday declared Khan’s moves to dissolve parliament last week unconstitutional and ordered lawmakers to return to the assembly, a copy of the petition seen by Arab News on Saturday showed.
The Supreme Court blocked Khan’s bid to stay in power, ruling that his move to dissolve parliament and call early elections was illegal, setting the stage for the no-confidence vote by opposition lawmakers.
“It is … most respectfully prayed that this August Court may kindly review, recall and set aside the Impugned Order dated 07.04.2022,” a copy of the draft petition said. “The impugned Order may kindly be recalled.”
The PM has vowed to “struggle” against any move to replace him, calling on his supporters to hold street protests from Sunday.