UPDATE - On eve of no-trust vote, Pakistan premier says he is ‘disappointed’ by top court’s verdict

UPDATES WITH MORE REMARKS FROM PRIME MINISTER

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - Pakistan's prime minister on Friday said he is “disappointed” by the top court’s judgment that declared the blocking of the no-confidence motion against him “contrary to the Constitution.”

“I expected that the supreme court will uphold the principles of justice but they (the Supreme Court) even didn’t discuss the foreign conspiracy,” Imran Khan said in an address to the nation.

However, he added: “I accepted the verdict because I respect judiciary.”

Khan accused the US of hatching a conspiracy to oust him.

“My Minister Atif Khan told me that some of our members were called in the US embassy in Islamabad and they were told that a no-trust motion is coming,” Khan claimed.

He said he wants “good relations” with all countries based on mutual respect.

He announced a countrywide protest on Sunday and said he will not accept an "imported" government in the country.

A new prime minister may take office on Sunday, if the opposition’s no-trust motion against Khan succeeds on Saturday.

On Thursday, Pakistan’s top court set aside the deputy speaker's ruling to dismiss a no-trust resolution against Khan and the subsequent dissolution of the lower house of parliament by the president on the premier's advice.

The apex court, in a unanimous judgment, ordered the speaker to summon a session of parliament on April 9 and hold a vote on the no-trust motion.

Khan also accused the opposition of attempting to “reverse and bulldoze” his election reforms.

The combined opposition, led by the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, had submitted the no-confidence motion against Khan on March 8, contending that the prime minister had lost the trust of the majority of lawmakers.

In case of the success of the no-trust motion, the house will elect the new prime minister for the remaining one and a half years.

The Supreme Court has ordered the government not to prevent any lawmaker from voting on the no-trust motion.