Pakistan army chief meets PM Khan amid impasse over no-confidence vote By Reuters

By Asif Shahzad and Syed Raza Hassan

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) -Pakistan’s military chief Normal Qamar Javed Bajwa on Saturday met Prime Minister Imran Khan amid an deadlock over a parliamentary vote to oust the premier, two sources aware of the matter advised Reuters.

The assembly comes hours after parliament was abruptly adjourned earlier than the vote that Khan was extensively anticipated to lose.

Khan’s allies blocked a no-confidence movement final week and dissolved the decrease home of parliament, however Pakistan’s prime courtroom on Thursday ordered that the vote be held by Saturday.

It’s but to occur, regardless of practically 12 hours passing for the reason that session began on Saturday.

Members of Khan’s social gathering had steered on Friday they might attempt to delay the vote for so long as potential. They’ve mentioned there’s a overseas conspiracy to oust him.

The cricket star turned politician has vowed to “wrestle” in opposition to any transfer to interchange him.

Earlier than Saturday’s session was adjourned, opposition chief Shehbaz Sharif, anticipated to turn into prime minister if Khan is ousted, urged decrease home Speaker Asad Qaiser to make sure the vote was carried out as a matter of precedence.

The speaker mentioned he would implement the courtroom order “in true letter and spirit”.

Khan, 69, surged to energy in 2018 with the navy’s help, however lately misplaced his parliamentary majority when allies stop his coalition authorities.

Opposition events say he has did not revive an economic system battered by COVID-19 or fulfil guarantees to make Pakistan a corruption-free, affluent nation revered on the world stage.

NO ‘IMPORTED GOVERNMENT’

The opposition and a few analysts say Khan has fallen out with the navy, a cost he and the navy deny. The military has dominated the state for half its 75-year post-colonial historical past, and no prime minister has accomplished a full five-year time period.

Khan, who loved widespread widespread help when he took workplace, mentioned late on Friday he was dissatisfied with the highest courtroom ruling however accepted it. However he mentioned he wouldn’t recognise any opposition authorities that changed him.

“I can’t settle for an imported authorities,” he advised the nation in a late-night deal with, suggesting the transfer to oust him was a part of a overseas conspiracy and calling for peaceable protests on Sunday. “I am prepared for a wrestle.”

Khan has accused america of supporting a plot to oust him, with out providing proof of his declare, which Washington has dismissed. He opposed the U.S.-led intervention in Afghanistan and has developed relations with Russia since turning into prime minister.

Because the turmoil continued, Pakistan’s rupee hit all-time lows on Thursday and overseas change reserves tumbled. The central financial institution raised its benchmark rate of interest by 2.5 proportion factors, the largest hike since 1996.

If Khan loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition will put ahead a candidate for prime minister.

Sharif, the youthful brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, mentioned after the courtroom ruling that the opposition had nominated him to take over ought to Khan be ousted.