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Pakistani lawmakers back PM Nawaz Sharif amid calls for resignation

 

  • Imran Khan and Pakistan Awami Tahreek Tahirul Qadri conclude their speech.
  • I had warned 14 months ago I’ll take to streets if we don’t get justice over 4 constituencies: Imran Khan.
  • This is 'kleptocracy' and not democracy, claims Imran Khan.
  • Maulana Fazlur Rehman has so much pain for democracy, he has also lectured on what is democracy, says Imran Khan.
  • Nawaz Sharif has 24 family members on key posts, that’s why democracy suits him: Tahirul Qadr.
  • Dr Sahab promised me we will not leave until Nawaz Sharif resigns, says Imran Khan.
  • You kill people and then expect them not to protest? asks Qadri.
  • If such protests don’t take place in West, bloodshed on marchers also doesn’t take place in West: Tahirul Qadri.
  • Tahirul Qadri and Imran Khan share stage together, address supporters.
  • Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) president Javed Hashmi resigns from the membership of parliament, a day after his startling revelation that the current political crisis in the country was scripted.

    "Honourable speaker, as for resignations, I resign from my seat...I am going back to the people of Pakistan," a Dawn news report quoted him as saying during a joint session of parliament.

    He added that no PTI member resigned willingly. "People did not resign of their own will but I am resigning now," he said.

  • “I will stay here in this container until the fight is over,” says Imran Khan while concluding his speech until 7:30pm.
  • “Just figure out how much wealth they had before coming into power and how much they have now… Nawaz Sharif’s wealth has touched the sky, rising year after year,” he added.
  • “I and Benazir Bhutto have studied politics in Oxford together. I will tell you what the real and fake democracy is and why this struggle of ours is a decisive war and we have to win it”, Imran said.
  •   Addressing the sit-in protesters, Khan said he will address the public this evening and will put his case for people to decide who is attacking democracy and who is standing by it.
  • Imran Khan told PTI’s members of the National Assembly (MNAs) including vice chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi to go and have a blast on their last day in Assembly tomorrow (Wednesday) by responding to the government’s charge sheet against PTI ‘point by point’, a local news channel reported.
  • Days after cancelling his visit to Turkey, PM Nawaz Sharif decided not to proceed to the United Kingdom to attend the Nato summit to be held on September 4 and 5 in the city of Cardiff, diplomatic sources said.

    The cancellation comes in the wake of anti-government protests in Islamabad where thousands of protesters led by Imran Khan and Tahirul Qadri are holding sit-ins across the Red Zone and calling for the premier to resign.

  • PTI chairman Imran Khan took to Twitter and said that he is “witnessing the emergence of a new Pakistan.”
  • Parliament session has been adjourned till tomorrow.
  • Nawaz Sharif and Javed Hashmi shake hands.
  • Hashmi declares that he is resigning from his seat.
  • He said that instead of Imran Khan, the Pakistani government should be questioned for not working for people's welfare and progress, the Dawn reports.
  • PTI president Javed Hashmi says that the country can be saved by democratic, Parliamentary system and Constitution, the Dawn reports.
  • Referring to the attack on Indian Parliament in 2001, JUI-F leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman said that when the incident took place, it was seen as an attack on democracy. But what about when Pakistani Parliament is under attack and no minister is able to enter their office, he asks, as per Dawn news report.  
  • Politician Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that what is happening outside is not a demonstration but terrorism.
  • He assured the PM that the opposition parties are with him for democracy.
  • Senator Aitzaz Ahsan is addressing the National Assembly and says that allegations made by Imran Khan regarding corruption have some weightage. 
  • He says that protesters stormed PTV building and are armed with slings and sticks.
  • The Interior Minister said that the PM had told him to let the protests continue as long as it is within the ambit of Constitution as they have a right to exercise their democratic right. He adds that the ongoing crisis is not a protest but “mutiny against Pakistan”, a Dawn news report stated.
  • Also Read: Pak govt condemns protests as 'mutiny against state'
  • He asked the PTI chairman as to what changed in the past few months prior to which he supported the government.
  • Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar opened the joint session of Parliament and said that “right of expression is taking unconstitutional means” for one group, the Dawn reported.
  • Also Read: Pakistan PM chairs joint Parliament session as crisis deepens
  • The apex court has issued notice to all the political parties after a petition seeking that they be summoned so that the deadlock can be resolved.
  • Also Read: Pakistan Supreme Court issues notices to parties
  • Chief Justice of Pakistan, Nasirul Malik, rubbished reports of association with PTI chairman and said that he had met him just once when he was the acting Chief Election Commissioner.
  • At least nine cases have been booked against Khan and Qadri including charges of terrorism, sedition and murder attempt, according to a DawnNews report.
  • A day after Pakistani Supreme Court asked the PTI and PAT counsel to tell them what role they want the apex court to play in the ongoing crisis, the Pakistan Awami Tehreek's lawyer said that the demands being made are political in nature and does not require interference of SC in the matter, the Dawn reported.
  • The protesters are present outside the house of PM Nawaz Sharif.
  • Protesters continue to be present in Islamabad's 'Red Zone' which houses several important government buildings. The ministries remained closed today as the crisis in the country continued, as per Dawn news report.
  • The Parliament will be held throughout the week in which the ruling PMN-L government and opposition parties will discuss the current situation.
  • Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is due to address joint session of Parliament today in which the ongoing political crisis and the violent protests will be discussed.
  • PTI chief Imran Khan addressed his supporters on early Tuesday morning and said that after hearing reports of crackdown, he rushed back to the protest venue to be with protesters. Speaking on the allegations of being supported by some forces, he said, “Imran Khan is not controlled by any one. Imran Khan is only controlled by his ideology”, the Dawn news reported.
  • The Pakistan Army issued a statement on Monday denying backing PAT or PTI in the current political crisis.

Amid continuing protests, the joint session of Parliament has been summoned on Monday in which the top lawmakers will discuss the political crisis that Pakistan is facing.

The protests are led by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) leader Tahir-ul-Qadri who are demanding Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's resignation claiming that last year`s elections were rigged.

The Parliament session is being held a day after Sharif has reportedly refused to step down or go on leave after holding a meeting with the opposition parties, premier and the Army chief.

Several reports by Pakistani media had also stated that Sharif was advised to step aside by Pakistan Army Chief Raheel Sharif. However, the government later denied the reports.