Bilawal Bhutto terms dissolution of Pakistan National Assembly violation of Constitution

Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Sunday said that Prime Minister Imran Khan`s advice to President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly is a violation of the Constitution. 

"Government has violated the Constitution by not allowing voting on the no-confidence motion. United Opposition is not leaving Parliament. Our lawyers are on their way to the Supreme Court. We call on all institutions to protect, uphold, defend and implement the Constitution of Pakistan," said Bilawal.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was chairing today's session, dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government, terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution.

"I have written to the President to dissolve the Assembly. There should be elections in a democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections," Khan said in an address to the nation.

Earlier, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Sadiq Sanjrani adjourned the Sunday sitting of the House, alleging ‘foreign conspiracy’ against the government while stating that the no-trust motion was unconstitutional. 

"I congratulate every Pakistani on the Speaker's decision. The no-confidence motion was a foreign conspiracy against us. Pakistan should decide who should govern them," Khan added. Earlier, it was reported that Imran Khan has offered to dissolve the Assembly on the condition of withdrawal of the no-confidence motion. 

Bilawal further said that everyone witnessed the violation of the Constitution. "Everyone has seen what happened in Pakistan today. President, Speaker can easily see that the Opposition had a majority against Imran Khan in the no-confidence motion," said Bilawal. 

Lashing out at the Deputy Speaker, he said, "He has done unconstitutional thing at the last moment. He broke the Constitution of Pakistan. The no-trust vote had to take place today as per the Constitution." 

He said that Opposition members have decided to protest against the unconstitutional move in the National Assembly and have decided to not leave the floor till their Constitutional rights are not given to them. "We are also in talks with our lawyers, we will go to the Supreme Court so that the voting can take place today itself. In the light of the majority being with Opposition, the House cannot be dissolved," said the PPP chairman. 

Earlier, Pakistan Opposition had moved a no-confidence motion against National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser ahead of the no-trust vote on Sunday. More than 100 lawmakers from the Opposition had signed the no-confidence motion against the Speaker. 

He also lashed at Imran Khan and advised him to stop behaving like a child and running away from fights and appealed to Pakistani citizens to side with the Constitution and believe in democratic values, adding "do not allow puppet or non-democratic person to rob your rights".

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) member Kamran Murtaza, one of the key Opposition allies, said that a petition to challenge the Speaker`s ruling in the Supreme Court is being drafted."It will be filed as per the decision of the Opposition leadership," said Murtaza.