Defiant Pakistani PM calls for street rallies in his support
ABC News
A defiant Prime Minister Imran Khan says he's in a fight to protect the country's sovereignty on the eve of a no-confidence vote in parliament with an opposition determined to unseat him
ISLAMABAD -- A defiant Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Friday that he is in a fight to protect the country’s sovereignty and called his supporters to the streets to defy opponents determined to unseat him.
Khan delivered an impassioned televised address to the nation on the eve of a no-confidence vote in parliament, a day after Pakistan’s Supreme Court blocked his bid to stay in power, ruling that his move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was illegal.
Thursday's court decision set the stage for a no-confidence vote, with opposition lawmakers saying they have the 172 votes in the 342-seat assembly needed to unseat Khan, after several of his ruling party members and a small, but key, coalition partner defected.
In his speech, Khan urged Pakistanis — particular the country’s young who have been the backbone of his support since the former cricket star turned conservative Islamist politician came to power in 2018 — to rally countrywide on Sunday night.
