ISLAMABAD: The voting process on no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan has been completed in the National Assembly and now counting is set to begin.

National Assembly’s Speaker Asad Qaiser and Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri resigned on late Saturday night amid constitutional and political crisis that have shaken whole country. Speaker Qaiser adjourned the session four times in the day after long speeches delivered from the treasury benches. Lastly, he resumed the assembly session after 11:30 PM, announced to resign from his post and handed the charge to NA Panel of Chairman Ayaz Sadiq, following which voting process on the no-trust motion started.

While announcing his resignation, Asad Qaiser said he was shown the ‘threat letter’ and he could not hold the voting after seeing the letter. He said he was bound to his oath. He said that he cannot continue as NA speaker and resign from his post. He also announced that Ayaz Sadiq will preside over the session on the no-confidence motion.

As per Supreme Court order, the National Assembly session began at 10:30am in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives. NA Speaker Asad Qaiser chaired the session. Amjad Ali Khan Niazi also chaired the session for a brief period as the session resumed after the adjournment before Qaiser returned.

Earlier, the speaker assured the opposition leaders that voting on no-trust motion would be held at 8pm tonight whereas the assembly session would resume after a little while. He however again adjourned the session till 9:30 PM but could not resume it timely as he went to hold a meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan. However, after 11:30 PM he resumed the session and resigned.

Earlier, it was decided that leaders from government and opposition parties would cut short their speeches. There would be a break for Iftar. During the first break, the Opposition held a consultative meeting in the Leader of the Opposition Shahbaz Sharif’s chamber to discuss a counter-strategy for the government’s alleged plan to prolong the session. From the Opposition’s side, JUI-F leader Maulana Asad Mahmood assured the members of the treasury benches that they will not interrupt speeches delivered from the government’s side.