ISLAMABAD: After Imran Khan lost the no-confidence vote in the National Assembly, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif, who is set to become the next Prime Minister of the country, expressed his happiness on Saturday and said that "today is a day of joy".
Imran Khan lost the trust vote in the National Assembly in a late-night vote after high political drama that saw Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly resigning from their posts after strong demands by the Opposition for completing the vote ordered by the Supreme Court.
Speaking at the National Assembly on Sunday, Shehbaz Sharif said, "We want to put balm on people's wounds. We will not take revenge, won't do injustice to anybody. We won't put innocent people into jail," he said adding "...but the law will do its work, neither I nor or Bilawal interferes into it."
"Today is a day of joy" he said. "We will run this country along with the organization," he added.
After weeks of high octane political drama, Imran Khan's ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government was ousted from power on Saturday night.
Pakistan Muslim League's (N) Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session in the National Assembly said: "Nawaz Sharif ki kami mehsus ho rahi hai (missing Nawaz Sharif's presence)"
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has hailed the adoption of a no-confidence vote against Imran Khan as he asked the members of the Pakistan National Assembly to mark 10th April 2022, as an important date in country's history.
The voting on the no-confidence motion was finally held after the House re-convened after midnight. As many as 174 members in the 342-strong house voted in favour of the resolution."174 members have recorded their votes in favour of the resolution, consequently the resolution for the vote on no-confidence against Imran Khan, the prime minister of Pakistan, has been passed by a majority," said Pakistan Muslim League's (N) Ayaz Sadiq, who was chairing the session in the National Assembly.
Addressing the Pakistani parliamentarians after the motion was passed against Imran Khan, Bilawal Zardari recalled what had happened on April 10 and said on this day, Pakistan approved the 1973 Constitution.
Prior to assuming office in 2018, Imran Khan had vowed to create a "naya Pakistan" --- one with zero corruption and prosperous economy. However, as time went by there were fewer takers of this empty sloganeering.
The voting on the no-confidence motion was undertaken with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Ayaz Sadiq chairing the session after Speaker of the House Asad Qaisar resigned after a meeting with Imran Khan.
On a dramatic day, the session of the National Assembly was adjourned shortly after convening in the morning amid ruckus in the House. The House reconvened at around 2:30 pm (local time) and was further adjourned after speeches were made by the Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and several Opposition leaders including Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
The House reconvened at around 7:30 pm, only to be further adjourned after an hour of proceedings. The Assembly was finally convened after midnight following the Speaker's resignation.
Maryam Nawaz Sharif, vice president of Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N), on Sunday expressed happiness after Imran Khan-led government lost the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly and said that the nightmare of Pakistan is over and it is time to heal.
Taking to Twitter, the PML-N leaders said: "The nightmare for my beloved Pakistan is over. Time to heal & repair."
Stating further, she said that the darkest period in the history of Pakistan has come to an end while apparently referring to the ouster of Imran Khan as country's Prime Minister.
"The darkest period in the history of Pakistan has come to an end. We bow our heads before The Almighty and pray for His guidance & success as we embark on a difficult journey of repairing the damage this man has caused to our homeland," she tweeted.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Saturday hailed the adoption of a no-confidence vote against Imran Khan as he asked the members of the Pakistan National Assembly to mark 10th April 2022, as an important date in country's history.
Bilawal Zardari recalled what had happened on April 10 and said on this day, Pakistan approved the 1973 Constitution.
"On April 10, 1986, Benazir Bhutto ended her self-imposed exile and arrived in Lahore to launch her struggle against former Pakistan President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq," he said,
"Today [on] April 10, 2022, we welcome [you] back to the purana Pakistan," said Bilawal in the Pakistan National Assembly. "I have a message for the Pakistani youth that they should never give up on their dreams as nothing is impossible. Democracy is the best revenge," he added.