'Freedom struggle begins again today': Imran Khan reacts to ouster

Islamabad, Apr 10: "Freedom struggle begins again against foreign conspiracy," said Imran Khan, in first comments after losing no-trust vote.

Pakistan became an independent state in 1947; but the freedom struggle begins again today against a foreign conspiracy of regime change. It is always the people of the country who defend their sovereignty & democracy, tweeted former Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan.

His statement comes on a day Shehbaz Sharif of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (Khan's party) were nominated as prime ministerial candidates.

Khan lost the majority last month after some of the coalition partners decided to part ways while several dissidents openly defied his authority. A special session was convened in the light of the verdict by the Supreme Court which on April 7 declared as unconstitutional a ruling by the deputy speaker to reject the no-trust move against Khan. The apex court also revoked the dissolution of the House.

Pakistan's joint Opposition, a rainbow of socialist, liberal and radically religious parties - secured the support of 174 members in the 342-member National Assembly, more than the needed strength of 172 to oust the prime minister on a day full of drama and multiple adjournments of the House. Khan is the first Pakistani prime minister whose fate was decided through a trust vote.