Pakistan: Imran Khan disappointed, but accepts court verdict on no-trust vote

Islamabad: Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday said he was disappointed, but accepted the Supreme Court’s verdict ordering parliament to proceed with a no-confidence vote against him.

In an address to the nation a day after the verdict, Khan, however, stressed that he would not recognise an opposition government if it succeeded in an attempt to oust him.

Parliament convenes on Saturday to vote on Khan as prime minister, an official notice said on Friday, potentially cutting short his term as leader.

The country's top court ruled late on Thursday that Khan must face the no-confidence vote, which he is widely expected to lose, meaning he would be ousted from office.

A session of the lower house of parliament has been called for 10.30am (0530 GMT) on Saturday, the speaker's office said in an order paper. The vote, brought by the opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif, is the fourth point on the agenda.

“I will not accept an imported government,” Khan said, suggesting the move to oust him was part of a foreign conspiracy and calling for peaceful protests on Sunday. "I'm ready for a struggle."

If Khan loses the no-confidence vote, the opposition will put forward a candidate for prime minister.

Shehbaz Sharif, the younger brother of three-time former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, said after the court ruling that the opposition had nominated him to take over should Khan be ousted.

The opposition has said it wants early elections but only after delivering Khan a political defeat and passing legislation that it says is needed to ensure the next polls are free and fair.

The election commission has said the earliest it can hold elections is in October, which means any new government will have to deal with pressing economic issues before that.