Islamabad, The proceedings of the National Assembly were adjourned early Sunday after Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan was ousted from power through a no-confidence motion. The next sitting of the house to choose the new Prime Minister of the country will start at 2 pm on April 11.
Ayaz Sadiq of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who is presiding over this crucial session of the National Assembly, said nomination papers for the election of the new prime minister can be filed by 2 pm on Sunday and their scrutiny at 3 pm. Will be till Sadiq announced a meeting of the National Assembly once again at 11 am on Monday and said that during this time a new prime minister would be elected.
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However, later the National Assembly of Pakistan told on its official Twitter account that the house would meet at 2 pm. The lower house tweeted, “The meeting of the National Assembly will begin at 2 pm instead of 11 am on Monday, April 11, 2022.” Earlier, the President of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, nominated Sadiq to preside over the session.
Qaiser, leader of Imran’s party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), had announced his resignation as Speaker citing his inability to conduct the proceedings of the House. Sadiq had started the voting process immediately. During the vote of no confidence in the 342-member National Assembly, the combined opposition of socialist, liberal and hardline religious parties got the support of 174 members, which was more than the number required to oust the prime minister from power, i.e. 172.
In the history of Pakistan, no prime minister has been ousted from power through a no-confidence motion before Imran. Also, till date no Pakistani Prime Minister has completed a five-year term. Imran (69) was not present in the lower house of Parliament at the time of the vote on the no-confidence motion. Members of his party also walked out of the house during the voting. However, rebel members of PTI were present in the House and were sitting in the seats of the ruling party. With the removal of Imran, the exercise to elect a new Prime Minister started. The United Opposition has already declared PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif as its joint candidate.