- All PTI MNAs, including PM candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, resign ahead of voting
What had been termed as a “soft coup” in Pakistan by global rights watchdogs owing to the deteriorating human rights situation, especially for the country’s vulnerable groups, on Monday came to an end as the National Assembly elected Shehbaz Sharif as the 23rd prime minister of Pakistan.
As per the details, Shehbaz secured 174 votes as opposed to PTI’s candidate Shah Mahmood Qureshi, who received no votes after his party decided to boycott the polling process.
The poll took place under the chairmanship of MNA Ayaz Sadiq, two days after the Lower House voted in favour of removing Imran Khan from office, following a nearly 14-hour standoff between the opposition and the then ruling PTI.
Taking the floor, the newly-elected prime minister thanked the Almighty for his uncountable blessings.
He mentioned that Allah had protected the country which was also because of the hectic efforts of the leaders of the joint opposition members.
The premier mentioned that it was for the first time in the history of Pakistan that a prime minister was ousted through the no-confidence motion.
Terming today a “historic day”, he mentioned that the happiness of the people can be seen through the economic indicators. Shehbaz mentioned that the rupee regained its value — which was trading at Rs190 per dollar and closed at Rs182 per dollar today.
“Imran Khan was the person who said that when rupee gains Re1 against the US dollar then the prime minister of the country is a corrupt person now he should see that the rupee has recovered around Rs8,” he said.
He acknowledged the Supreme Court’s “unanimous” verdict saying that the day when the apex court gave its judgment should be marked as a “historic day” in the history of Pakistan.
The newly-elected prime minister said the opposition was discussing the no-confidence motion days before Imran Khan’s “concocted threat letter controversy”.
“They say that this letter came to them on March 7, but our decisions were made way before that, so, if [what the previous government claimed] is a lie, then the matter should be disclosed transparently before the public,” he said.
Therefore, PM Shehbaz Sharif announced that the parliament’s security committee would be given a briefing on the “threat letter” to the members of the committee in presence of the armed forces personnel and bureaucrats — the director-general Inter-Services Intelligence, foreign secretary, and the ambassador who wrote it, who has now been transferred to Brussels.
“If there’s an iota of evidence that we were backed by foreign conspirators […] then with you Mr speaker and God as my witness, I will not think for another second and resign from the office of the prime minister,” PM Shehbaz Sharif said, vowing to hold an in-camera session of the security committee at the earliest.
The prime minister thanked his brother and ex-premier Nawaz Sharif for his support, while also lauding social media activists, press clubs, media houses, and lawyers for backing the opposition’s struggle for democracy.
Moving towards the topic of economy, the newly-elected prime minister said if Pakistan were to progress, then it needs to be self-sufficient on the financial front.
“…we will need to protect and respect the nation as neither was anyone a traitor nor are they traitors now,” the prime minister said, noting if Pakistan’s economy were to move forward, then, the government will have to use “dialogue” and not move towards a deadlock.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said hard work was required for Pakistan’s progress as if only statements could move the country forward, then during PTI’s tenure, we would have been among the leading nations.
“We will need to wash out the effects of the previous government by working together, otherwise, we will fail […] our economy is in a bad situation right now,” the prime minister said.
PM Shehbaz Sharif said the new government would take steps to make Pakistan an “investment heaven” for investors as he noted their capital would help the country move forward.
He announced that despite Punjab “being the elder brother” if all the other provinces remain behind in terms of development, then it is not Pakistan’s development, it was just a single province’s development.
“This servant of Pakistan vows to make sure that Pakistan will develop and not just Punjab,” Shehbaz said.
He said the government would reintroduce the Benazir Card and interlink it with the education sector in a bid to facilitate people whose children go to school.
“Our children should be equipped with great knowledge […] we will reintroduce this programme with consultation,” he said and lashed out at the PTI government for discontinuing it.
PTI RESIGNS FROM LOWER HOUSE
At the outset of the session, Suri said that voting has already been done on the no-trust motion [against Imran Khan] and there has been enough debate over the ruling he gave on April 3, which blocked the no-trust vote against Khan.
“Complying with the court’s orders is mandatory for everyone, but I want to put the reasons and basis of my ruling before you.
“I made the decision as a patriotic Pakistani, as a guardian and speaker of the NA,” he said.
“I want to tell you that the foreign cable was deliberated over during the meetings of the federal cabinet, the PCNS, NSC and it was agreed that the no-confidence motion against Khan is a foreign plot,” he said.
Suri went on to say that the last cabinet meeting that was held on April 9, 2022, decided to declassify the foreign cable. He said that the cable was then received by former NA speaker Asad Qaiser, who closely read it.
The deputy speaker asked if Pakistan is not a free country.
“Was Khan punished for not accepting slavery?”
Suri then announced that he will send the declassified cable in a “sealed” envelope to the Chief Justice of Pakistan.
Suri concluded by saying that he has accepted the apex court’s decision to reverse his ruling and the restoration of the Assembly as it was, and has tried to run parliamentary affairs as per NA rules and the Constitution. He then allowed former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to speak.
Taking the floor, former foreign minister and PTI’s candidate for the slot of PM, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, said that today’s constitutional process has to end today as some will be declared a winner today, while the other one will be declared “free”.
“The nation has two paths; one path is of self-respect while the other one is of slavery,” he said, appreciating Imran Khan for trusting him [Qureshi] by nominating him.
Qureshi pointed towards the treasury benches, saying that today, the nation can see that on one side are people who share the same pro-country ideology and on the other side, people are only united and are sitting with several ideologies.
The PTI vice-chairman said: “In view of PTI members, the unity among the opposition benches is unnatural because history knows that there is no ideological unity. among them”.
Qureshi said that they may think that some of them [opposition members] have won while the people on the treasury benches have lost; however, the nation showed them yesterday who are they standing with.
Referring to last night’s protests staged by PTI supporters in various cities — both in Pakistan and abroad — he said that people came out on the streets on Imran Khan’s call which shows that today “some people will lose despite winning in the assembly while others will win even if they lose the race of prime ministership.”
“Imran Khan has taught the nation how to live an independent life,” he said, adding that despite being a graduate of Oxford University, he promoted the national language and national dress of Pakistan on all occasions.
Qureshi went on to say that when Imran Khan met Donald Trump in the White House, he was wearing a Peshwari chappal, while during a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, he was wearing Shalwar Kameez.
Amid constant calls from the deputy speaker urging members sitting on the opposition benches to maintain the order of the House, Qureshi continued saying that the opposition members have formed a temporary collision that would not last long, adding that Shahbaz Sharif knows he does not have the “support of the people.”
Lashing out at the opposition parties, the ex-foreign minister said PPP and PML-N could not think of appointing someone outside their families for the top office of the prime minister and chief minister.
Qureshi said the PML-N and PPP were part of governments for 40 years but did not allow Imran Khan to even stay in power for even four years. “Were they not enough for you to introduce electoral reforms?”
“Let the people of Pakistan choose between an independent or an enslaved Pakistan […] do you want the Pakistan in which there are several diseases, or do you want a Pakistan which we envision,” the ex-foreign minister said.
“In line with the party’s unanimous decision, we have decided not to partake in their (opposition) illegal actions; we aspire for an independent Pakistan, and we announce to resign [from assemblies] today,” the PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi announced.
As the ex-foreign minister announced PTI’s decision, NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri also said his “conscience” did not allow him to hold the election for the new PM, therefore, he handed over the chair of the session to PML-N MNA Ayaz Sadiq — the senior-most member of the panel of chair.
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