The deputy speaker of Pakistan’s parliament on Sunday blocked a vote on a measure seeking to oust Prime Minister Imran Khan, saying it was against the constitution.

The parliament had been scheduled to take up the opposition’s no-confidence move against Khan after he lost his parliamentary majority.

Khan said he had advised the president to dissolve parliament, Reuters reported.

Addressing the nation on Sunday, Imran said he had written to President Arif Alvi to dissolve the National Assembly and order fresh polls. Imran claimed the build-up to the trust vote exposed the foreign conspiracy against his government.

“I have written to the president to dissolve the assemblies (federal and provincial). There should be elections in a democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections,” Imran was quoted as saying by ANI. 

Imran alleged “treason” was being committed by proceeding with the no-trust vote and claimed the deputy speaker had “rejected the attempt of changing the regime [and] the foreign conspiracy”, Dawn reported.

Shortly before his address, the deputy speaker of the Pakistan National Assembly adjourned the House’s session on Sunday before it was to take up the no-trust motion.

Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri ruled the no-trust motion moved against Imran was “unconstitutional” and null and void. Suri noted the motion violated Article 5 of the country’s constitution. According to reports, the opposition is planning to approach the Supreme Court against the adjournment of the session.

Earlier, after the session began for the day, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry announced in the National Assembly that the no-trust motion was backed by a major power, pointing a finger at the US.

--Agencies