Live: Pak Oppn to level treason charges against Imran Khan, says TV report

Live news updates: Opposition parties say cancellation of the no-confidence vote is illegal, accuse Khan of throwing the country into a constitutional crisis.

4:54 PM

Secret meeting at Imran home at 7am before trust vote, says TV report

A television report has claimed that there was a secret meeting at around 7am on Sunday ahead of the trust vote. Apparently it was at this meeting that the decision to disrupt the assembly proceedings was taken. 

4:45 PM

Pak PM Khan sacks Punjab governor; election of new CM deferred

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Sunday sacked Punjab province's Governor Chaudhry Sarwar while the election of the new provincial chief minister has been deferred.

Following in the footsteps of the National Assembly, Punjab Assembly's Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Muhammad Mazari, citing the international conspiracy to topple the Imran Khan government, refused to conduct election of the chief minister and deferred the session until April 6.

Later, the Speaker's office said that since there was ruckus in the House, it deferred the proceedings to conduct the election of the chief minister.

3:40 PM

Multi-crore Chinese loan app fraud and extortion racket busted, 8 held

In a major operation, the Delhi Police have busted a multi-crore Chinese loan Application fraud and extortion racket and arrested eight people from different parts of the country, an official said on Sunday.

Deputy Commissioner of Police (IFSO) K.P.S. Malhotra told IANS that the accused were allegedly extorting and abusing innocent people in the name of providing and repaying loans.

Sharing complete details of the case, the DCP said a complaint was lodged at the IFSO unit of the Special Cell by a woman alleging that she was being abused and threatened by some unknown persons who were sending her morphed and vulgar photographs to her family, friends and relatives through social media.

"The complainant had taken a loan from one Loan App, namely Cash Advance (Danakredit), she repaid the same in time. But after repaying the said amount she started getting threat calls and messages on WhatsApp from Cash Advance employees," the senior official said.

It was further observed by the complainant that the alleged scamsters were using the profile picture of a highly 'senior police officer'.

Accordingly, the police registered a case under sections 354A, 509, 384, 385, 419, 420 and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code at the Special Cell police station and initiated an investigation.

During the probe, money trails of alleged transactions were established and it was found that the money was being transferred in a current account which had been opened in the name of Balaji Technology. Further it was found that the name of Balaji technology was used at a shop of motorcycle repair. The proprietor of the account was found in the name of Rohit Kumar, a resident of Rajeev Nagar, Delhi.

 

3:38 PM

DMK govt planning to regain Tamil Nadu's lost pride: Stalin

Asserting that his government will reclaim the "lost pride of Tamil Nadu", Chief Minister M K Stalin has said the state's administration and financial management were badly degraded for 10 years, but the DMK dispensation has taken proactive steps in its first 10 months towards planning for the future rather than merely blaming previous regimes.

He also said that the criticism by the BJP and the AIADMK of his various policy initiatives and other steps, including his trip to Dubai to garner investments, was proof of his success and asserted that all election promises made by the DMK have either been fulfilled already or are in the process of being completed.

After a massive electoral victory last year, Stalin took over the reins of Tamil Nadu at a time the state was staring at a huge debt situation.

Asked about the challenges before him and how does he plan to implement his hugely anticipated promises such as the Rs 1,000 per month rights assistance for women and tax cuts on petroleum products, in addition to the already effected tax cut on petrol, Stalin said, "For the last 10 years, the administration and financial management of Tamil Nadu have been badly degraded. We have come to power in such an environment."

3:35 PM

Elections will be held in Pakistan in 90 days: Ex-Minister

Pakistan's former Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Farrukh Habib on Sunday said elections will be held in 90 days as the National Assembly was dissolved by President Arif Alvi on Prime Minister Imran Khan's advice, Dunya News reported.

Habib said that Pakistanis residing abroad have been given the right to vote by Parliament therefore the opposition cannot take that right of the overseas Pakistani's back.

On Sunday, NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri dismissed the much-anticipated no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister saying it was in contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution.

In a televised address just minutes after the dismissal, Khan announced that he had advised the President Alvi to dissolve all Assemblies, paving the way for snap elections.

The President, heeding to the proposal, dissolved the NA, paving the way for the elections.

3:21 PM

Shanghai lockdown triggers complaints as Covid cases rise

COVID-19 cases in China's largest city of Shanghai are still rising with millions isolated at home under a sweeping lockdown, as the draconian zero tolerance approach to the pandemic increasingly draws complaints from residents fed up with the restrictions.

Health officials on Sunday reported 438 confirmed cases over the previous 24 hours, along with 7,788 asymptomatic ones.

Both figures were up slightly from the day before, while the northeastern province of Jilin posted a combined 4,455 cases Sunday, also marking an increase from Saturday.

While small by the standards of some countries, the daily increases are some of the largest since the virus was first detected in the central city of Wuhan in late 2019.

Shanghai with its 26 million people last week began a two-stage lockdown, with residents of the eastern Pudong section supposed to be allowed to leave their homes Friday, while their neighbours in the western Puxi section underwent their own four-day isolation period.

Despite that assurance, millions in Pudong continue to be confined to their homes amid complaints over food deliveries and the availability of medications and health services.

 

3:20 PM

Pak Punjab Assembly adjourned till April 6

A session of the Punjab Assembly (PA) in Pakistan was adjourned on Sunday till April 6 without voting to elect the new leader of the house and Chief Minister amid ruckus by opposition and government lawmakers, Dawn reported.

The provincial assembly was to vote on Sunday to elect the new leader of the house, with PML-Q's PTI-backed Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and PML-N's Hamza Shehbaz, who had secured the support of Jahangir Khan Tarin (JKT) group, expected to go head to head in the race to become the next chief minister.

Ahead of the session, the press gallery of the Assembly was locked, barring journalists from covering the proceedings.

The PA session took place at the same time when a National Assembly (NA) session was to vote on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

In the end, neither of the two votes took place as the no-trust move in the NA was dismissed by Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, who deemed the resolution in contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution.

PML-N leader Khawaja Saad Rafique deemed the adjournment of the session "unconstitutional".

3:19 PM

Strict action against Karauli clash perpetrators regardless of community: Ashok Gehlot

Coming up heavily over the stone pelting incident on saturday in Karauli, Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said on Sunday that strict action will be taken against the perpetrators of Karauli clashes irrespective of their community so that everyone gets a message that only the rule of law will prevail in Rajasthan.

Gehlot was addressing a press conference in Barmer.

"I have talked to the Director-General of Police about the incident. I have urged him to take strict action against the perpetrators of the clashes irrespective of their community so that a message goes to all that only rule of law will prevail in Rajasthan," said Gehlot while addressing the press conference.

He urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appeal to the countrymen to stop falling for any type of communal polarisation which is not in the interest of the country.

Gehlot stressed that only an atmosphere of peace and brotherhood can lead to development and justice for all.

Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) was imposed in the Karauli district of Rajasthan on Saturday and the internet was shut down after stones were pelted during a religious procession that day. Section 144 was imposed in Karauli from 6:30 pm on April 2 to 12 am on April 4.

3:16 PM

Third force claim with 10% score: Stalin's jibe at BJP in Tamil Nadu

With the BJP claiming to have emerged as the "third force" in its next frontier Tamil Nadu, the state's chief minister and DMK supremo M K Stalin has said it is like a boy scoring 90 points in an examination, the second student getting 50 and the third managing just a 10-point score.

He also said it was wrong to assume that the BJP won massively in the recently held assembly elections in five states as its tally declined in Uttar Pradesh and its 10 ministers, including one deputy chief minister, lost there, while several key leaders in Goa and the chief minister in Uttarakhand also had to suffer defeat.

"Taking into account the real field conditions of the five state election results, I'll say it is negative for the BJP," Stalin told PTI in an interview.

"In UP, they have got fewer seats than last time. The defeat of 10 ministers, including the deputy chief minister, is an expression of popular discontent. The BJP chief minister has been defeated in Uttarakhand and their key leaders lost in Goa too. The party has won only two seats in the Punjab assembly," said the DMK stalwart, who was on a three-day visit to the national capital.

Asked about the BJP's claim that it has emerged as the third force in Tamil Nadu, Stalin said, "A boy gets 90 marks in an examination. Another student gets a score of 50. Another one gets 10 points. Would you appreciate a 10-point scorer finishing third?"

After urban local body polls in February, the BJP claimed that it has emerged as the third-largest party in Tamil Nadu after the DMK and the AIADMK.

2:39 PM

Imran Khan's move risks constitutional crisis in Pakistan

Imran Khan's move to call fresh elections risks leading to a constitutional crisis in Pakistan, which has been ruled by the military for nearly half of its history, Bloomberg reported. Ahead of the vote, Khan had alleged evidence of an “international conspiracy” to unseat him led by the US, which has denied the allegations.

 

2:17 PM

Imran cabinet dissolved, elections will be held in 90 days

Two Pakistan ministers say Imran Khan cabinet is dissolved and elections will be held in 90 days, PTI reports.

2:00 PM

Pakistan Opposition to move court against Imran govt

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, head of the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP), promised a sit-in at the parliament and told reporters, "We are also moving to the Supreme Court today." 

1:59 PM

Pakistan President dissolves Parliament

Pakistan’s President dissolved the National Assembly on the advice of Prime Minister PM Imran Khan, who called for fresh elections in the country after the Opposition’s no-confidence motion against him was blocked in Parliament.

1:32 PM

Imran Khan calls for fresh elections

"The public decides who they want in power,” says Imran Khan in a televised address. “I want to tell the public to get ready for elections.”

1:12 PM

The no-confidence motion was a foreign conspiracy: Pakistan PM Imran Khan