Army ‘absolutely not’ part of NA shock

Army spokesperson responds to question whether Pak Army was aware of what happened during National Assembly session

RAWALPINDI:

The military rushed to dissociate itself from the events of Sunday’s National Assembly session, affirming that it was “absolutely not” part of the move to dismiss the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan.

“The army has nothing to do with what happened in the National Assembly today,” Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General Major General Babar Iftikhar told a private TV channel. “Absolutely not,” he reiterated in response to a question about whether the army was aware of the events that unfolded in the lower house of Parliament.

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Earlier in the day, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri dismissed the no-confidence motion submitted by the joint opposition to dislodge the prime minister, terming it “unconstitutional” under Article 5 of the Constitution.

Suri, who was chairing the session in the absence of Speaker Asad Qaiser, said the resolution could not be voted upon because it was “supported by a foreign power” and violated the Article 5, which deals with loyalty to the state and obedience to the Constitution.