The opposition parties have demanded that National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser be tried under Article 6 of the Constitution for not convening the lower house of parliament session within 14 days of its requisition to take up their no-confidence resolution against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The PPP and the PML-N in separate press conferences made the demand and slammed the NA speaker for delaying the session. They also criticised PM Imran for using “religion card” and “running” a social media campaign against the opposition.

"Prime Minister Imran Khan is running away from the no-confidence motion because he knows about his defeat. The prime minister has violated the Constitution of Pakistan. The NA speaker had failed to follow the rules," PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Sunday.

Speaking about the notice issued earlier in the day by the National Assembly Secretariat, he said that the NA Speaker did not convene the session regarding the no-confidence motion even 14 days after the approval of the requisition.

He said that the Constitution of Pakistan says that the Speaker of the National Assembly should convene a meeting after 14 days.

Bilawal said that according to the rules, voting on the no-confidence motion should take place seven days after its convening in the same manner as it was in the time of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto.

'Foreign-funded agent'

Criticizing the prime minister, Bilawal said that the captain "who knows that he will win never runs away from the game."

"You are a foreign-funded agent who was planted in our system to destroy the country's economy, slow down the work on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), and isolate Pakistan at the international level with wrong policies," Bilawal said

“Those who will stand against you will be remembered as a hero in history."

'PM Imran is running a propaganda campaign'

He said that the premier had no evidence of wrongdoing and corruption against the opposition so he was running a propaganda campaign.

He added that the government considers itself above the constitution, laws and rules, however, there is an institution in the country that is ready to protect our constitutional rights, democratic rights, our votes and the members of parliament.

Meanwhile, PML-N’s senior vice-president Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, along with party leaders, addressed a press conference. He also accused the NA speaker and the premier of violating the Constitution and committing treason under Article 6. "If anyone would interfere in the democratic process of no-trust move, he would commit ‘treason’," he added.

PML-N secretary general Ahsan Iqbal alleged that the premier was using a religion card to cover up his “incompetence”.

Earlier, the PML-N spokesperson in a statement stated if the speaker failed to convene the NA session before March 22, he would be guilty of violating the Constitution that was be punishable under Article 6.