A no-confidence vote has had Pakistan’s parliament oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, bringing an end to a month-long political instability in the country. ayokinews.com reports
The resolution had 174 lawmakers of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament, vote against Imran Khan on Saturday, adding two more votes than the needed 172 for a simple majority.
Speaker of the National Assembly, the lower house of parliament where the vote was scheduled to take place, had resigned earlier, leaving the presiding position vacant.
In accordance to the Supreme court ruling which fixed the resolution for Saturday, a lawmaker from the opposition, who took over the vacant speaker’s seat announced the commencement of the voting session.
Shortly after the no-confidence vote, supporters of both Imran Khan and the opposition descended on parliament, with opposition supporters applauding the outcome.
Pakistan lawmakers to vote on motion to oust PM Imran Khan
Small brawls ensued between the two political parties, prompting the police to intervene. Pakistani security personnel have begun to take precautions in order to avoid larger conflicts.
Pakistan’s acting speaker, further announced that a new prime minister will be elected on Monday, by the parliament.
In the absence of the governing party’s members and authorized speakers, lawmaker Ayaz Sadiq, who presided over the assembly session, stated that candidate nomination papers must be filed by 11:00 a.m. local time (0600 GMT) on Sunday.
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