Pakistan: Speaker adjourns parliament session, delays no-confidence vote

Pakistan's parliament adjourned on Saturday, delaying a no-confidence motion that could oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, days after his allies blocked a similar measure.

Lawmakers will reconvene and the voting will be held after 8pm.

Geo News reports that several of the 151 members of the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chanted slogans, interrupting Opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif during his opening speech.

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Pakistan federal minister Fawad Chaudhry on Saturday said that voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan's government could be shifted to next week.

As proceedings of the Pakistan National Assembly (NA) session began with the specific mandate to take up the no-confidence motion against the government and the election of the new leader of the House, the ruling PTI prepared its strategy to scuttle the proceedings and delay the voting by directing MPs to give lengthy speeches on the "foreign conspiracy," reported Geo News.

Talking to Geo News, Chaudhry said that the foreign secretary will brief the House on the "threat letter", so the voting on no-confidence may not happen and may be deferred till next week.

• Pakistan