New Delhi: Pakistan’s Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, who dismissed a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, was the PM’s trump card — that is how many Pakistanis see Suri after he ‘saved’ the PTI government from a humiliating ouster. While experts called Suri’s conduct a “violation of Article 5 of the constitution” and insinuated how the speaker was reading an “already prepared text”, Twitter users posted memes to mock the alleged conspiracy between the PM and deputy speaker, also hinted at by several news sites.
Deputy speaker Qasim Suri going back to PTI members after his verdictpic.twitter.com/JwEywH0j0g
— Imran Khan (@IImranRiazKhan) April 4, 2022
British-Pakistani journalist and former wife of Imran Khan, Reham Khan, said “Imran is the ghost of Gen Zia.”
Speaker behaved in an unconstitutional fashion. #Article6ForImran & for Speaker
Imran is the ghost of Gen Zia— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) April 3, 2022
Deputy Speaker Suri, a member of Khan’s ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), cited “foreign interference” while refusing to accept the no-trust motion to debate the vote that had to decide the fate of Imran Khan’s government.
An ‘outright misapplication’
An editorial in The Nation encapsulated the surprise of the Opposition at the “politically expedient interpretation of the constitution” by the deputy speaker.
“The actions of the deputy speaker have raised eyebrows as many feel that it was an outright misapplication of a constitutional article and that he had no authority to dismiss the process. First, there was a violation of timelines and now a disregard of what the Constitution mandates,” the article brusquely stated.
Pakistan Observer called it a “blatant” defiance of the constitution for the “lust of power.” It further held that Constitutional and legal experts unanimously believed that the Government acted in an illegal manner.
Another editorial in Pakistan Today called for judicial intervention. It argued that the Supreme Court should take suo motu notice of these events and try to examine the remedies for unconstitutional proceedings.
“Judicial refusal to examine parliamentary proceedings means that the PM need only have the Speaker on his side, and he would no longer be answerable to the National Assembly, because it would have no means of removing him,” it said.
Alvi’s ‘high treason’
Social media users also echoed what was the dominant discourse.
Taking a dig at the Opposition, a user posted this meme to explain the state of affairs in Pakistan.
— Nomi (@Nomi54442725) April 4, 2022
Opposition were prepared for PM Imran Khan but Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri come out of syllabus ?#surprise pic.twitter.com/bksiHJEbRZ
— AnasAhmadKhan. (@IamAAK_Khan) April 3, 2022
Journalist Raza Ahmad Rumi tweeted about Imran Khan and his “cronies” who tried to undermine the National Assembly. Executive editor Murtaza Solangi called Pakistan’s President Arif Alvi on whose advice the assembly was dissolved as guilty of “high treason.”
Shameful. Faced with the prospect of losing power, Imran Khan and his cronies dissolve the National Assembly. The speaker had no constitutional authority to invoke Article 5 & throw out the #voteofnoconfidence — Supreme Court has taken notice&let’s see where this goes. #Pakistan
— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) April 3, 2022
Add @ArifAlvi into the list of those committing high treason. A prime minister against whom a vote of no confidence was pending, can’t advise dissolution of assemblies. He must be tried under article 6 along with Imran Khan, Speaker, Deputy Speaker and Fawad Chaudhry.
— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) April 3, 2022
Other users playfully criticised the whole debacle using memes and movie clips. One used Bollywood film ‘Nayak’ to suggest how PM Imran Khan would have influenced Qasim Khan to dismiss the motion against him. Others ruminated whether the speaker was paid by Khan to take his side.
Nobody….Imran Khan to Speaker earlier today ? #NoConfidenceMotion #ImranKhanPrimeMinister pic.twitter.com/DhHJf3qWMS
— Sheikh Noyan ul Haq (@Noo_Yaa_N) April 3, 2022
— Nomi (@Nomi54442725) April 4, 2022
Twitter users had a field day over the “surprise” that came with the deputy speaker’s move and they made the most of it through jokes.
Opposition were prepared for PM Imran Khan but Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri come out of syllabus ?#surprise pic.twitter.com/bksiHJEbRZ
— AnasAhmadKhan. (@IamAAK_Khan) April 3, 2022