Imran Khan stays away as Pakistan National Assembly decides his fate

After the House came into session around 11 am India time, it was adjourned after a little over half an hour's session till 1 pm (IST), following ruckus by the opposition who demanded Speaker Asad Qaiser stick to curriculum and just conduct the vote and not any debate after Speaker allowed Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to speak.

Qaiser began the session in accordance with the Supreme Court's directives.

Voting on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister was the fourth item on the day's agenda.

While the Opposition came out in full force, very few members of the treasury benches were in attendance.

Prime Minister Imran Khan was conspicuously absent.

Taking the floor, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in the country's history when the apex court rejected the deputy speaker's ruling.

According to the PML-N leader, the SC decision had made Pakistan's future "bright".

He also thanked the opposition leadership for struggling against the erroneous ruling, the fruits of which the country was seeing.

He called on Qaiser to conduct proceedings in accordance with the SC's directives, stating that parliament would be writing history today.

"Today, parliament is going to defeat a selected prime minister in a constitutional manner," he declared.

Shehbaz told the speaker to let bygones be bygones and to stand for the law and the Constitution.

He urged the speaker to play his role and to have his name "written in history in golden words", Pakistan media reported.

"You must cash in on this moment with conviction and with your heart and your mind. Don't go on the dictation of the selected prime minister," he urged Qaiser, adding that the apex court's directives were clear.

Responding to Shehbaz's earnest plea, Qaiser assured the opposition leader that he would conduct proceedings according to the law and the Constitution.

"(But) the important thing is that there has been talk of an international conspiracy. This should also be discussed," he said, as the hall echoed with protests from the opposition benches.

This prompted Shehbaz to tell the Qaiser that he would be violating the court's directives if he went down that road.

He also read out the court's directives regarding the convening of the session.

"Under the court's directives, you are bound to take up this agenda item and no other item. That is the intent of the order and you cannot deviate from it," he said, calling on the speaker to hold voting on the motion forthwith.

"The SC's orders will be followed in true letter and spirit," Qaiser replied, giving the floor to Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi. The foreign minister began by acknowledging that the opposition had the right to table a no-trust motion against the prime minister, but said that defending it was his obligation.

"We intend to fight it in a constitutional, political and democratic manner," he asserted.

Talking about constitutional violations, he said that it was obligatory "on us to respect the Constitution".

"As the prime minister said yesterday, he is disappointed but has accepted the court's decision," Qureshi said, referring to Imran Khan's late night address on Friday.

"Pakistan's history is full of constitutional violations," he said.

The minister went on to say that the doctrine of necessity should have been buried, voicing his happiness at the "evolution" of Pakistan's democracy.

"I am happy that Pakistan's democracy has evolved and that we all are not ready to take its (doctrine of necessity) support," he added.

At this the Opposition members stood up in their seats and asked him to stop, following which the Speaker adjourned the House till 12:30 pm local time.

There is heightened security outside the house perimetres and across the city, as there is also prohibition order against any kind of congregation.

Opposition leaders and people on social media reminded Imran of "playing till last ball comment" as he appeared to have deserted the "pitch" at the final hour.