Shahbaz Sharif accuses Imran Khan of imposing civil martial law in Pakistan

ISLAMABAD: Refering to Imran Khan's claim of threat by the US, Pakistan Muslim League (N) leader

Shahbaz Sharif

on Monday said that a no-confidence motion was submitted on March 8 and if there was a threat why wasn't it raised before March 24.

Addressing a press conference today the PML-N chief said that Imran Khan along with his party members has blatantly challenged the Constitution of Pakistan.

"Constitution was violated yesterday by Imran Khan Niazi and his group. Motion (No-Confidence) was submitted on March 8, if some message had come from the US while they claim that it was received on March 7, why did they not raise it on March 24?" he said.

Reacting to the dissolution of the National Assembly and rejection of the no-confidence motion, he said that Khan has imposed a "civil martial law" in the country.

He was accompanied by

Pakistan Peoples Party

(PPP) Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader Asad Mehmood, Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan MQM-(P) convener Khalid Maqbool Siddiqui, Balochistan National Party, Mengal (BNP-M) chief Akhtar Mengal and others in Islamabad.

"In violation of the court's orders, the (then) Prime Minister and the President have taken extra-Constitutional steps," he said during the presser.

The PML-N leader also said that it is true that no one could challenge the proceedings of the House but if the Constitution is violated there then will it not be protected?

Referring to the dramatic turn of events in the Lower House yesterday, plunging the country into a Constitutional crisis, he said Fawad Chaudhry and the Speaker read out the written letters.

The National Assembly of Pakistan was dissolved on Sunday. In a development that is likely to worsen the political crisis in the country, Pakistan President

Arif Alvi

has said that Imran Khan will continue as Prime Minister till the appointment of a caretaker PM under Article 224 A of the Pakistan Constitution.

"Mr. Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi, shall continue as Prime Minister till the appointment of caretaker Prime Minister under Article 224 A (4) of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," Alvi said in a tweet.

This comes after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan was de-notified as the Prime Minister of Pakistan. A statement was issued in this regard from the country's Cabinet Division after the dissolution of the National Assembly, Geo News reported.

The de-notification comes after the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly (NA)

Qasim Suri

dismissed the no-confidence motion against the PTI chairman and termed it "unconstitutional".

Pakistan's Opposition parties have been contemplating their actions going forward after the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan was rejected and the National Assembly was dissolved.