National Assembly convenes as Imran Khan calls emergency cabinet meeting

The National Assembly session to decide the fate of Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan resumed on Saturday after a two-hour delay. 

The session was originally adjourned till 12.30pm but was seemingly delayed as opposition and government members held meetings.

Khan has called an emergency cabinet meeting at 9.30pm IST amid confusion whether the no-confidence vote will take place.

Earlier in the day, taking the floor, Leader of the Opposition in the assembly Shehbaz Sharif hailed Thursday as a historic day in Pakistan’s history when the Supreme Court rejected the deputy speaker’s ruling and said that the apex court’s decision had made the country’s future “bright”. He called on Speaker Qaiser to conduct proceedings in accordance with the court’s directives, stating that parliament would be writing history on Saturday.

Khan looks certain to be kicked out of office, but a political crisis in the nuclear-armed nation of 220 million will likely continue. Khan lost his majority in the 342-seat national assembly through defections by coalition partners and members of his own Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, and the opposition need just 172 votes to dismiss him.