Bilawal Bhutto says PTI minister threatened him before no-trust vote

Pakistan Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari claimed on Thursday that a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) minister had threatened him with the imposition of martial law a night before the no-confidence motion against ex-Prime Minister Imran Khan was passed, media reports said.

In his address to the National Assembly, Zardari said that the PTI minister had asked him to either accept early elections or martial law would be imposed in the country, Geo News reported.

The Foreign Minister said that despite PTI's repeated attempts to defeat the no-confidence motion against the former premier, their bids were foiled and the no-trust vote was successful in ousting Imran Khan.

Zardari also demanded an investigation into the events leading up to and post the no-confidence motion voting.

Ex-Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri had termed the no-trust motion against Khan "unconstitutional" and dismissed it on April 3, and following this, Khan advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the assemblies and the latter followed suit.

But the then Opposition filed a plea in the Supreme Court seeking the nullification of the government's move. The top court on April 7 declared the government's decision to dissolve the assemblies and Suri's ruling against the Constitution, Geo News reported.

The SC had asked to hold the voting on the no-confidence motion on April 9, but Khan had the Speaker prolong the session. But near midnight, the Speaker resigned from office.

Being the senior member of the panel of chairs, PML-N MNA Ayaz Sadiq chaired a session on early April 10 and held the voting on the no-confidence motion, which ultimately led to Khan's ouster.

--IANS

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