The Evening Wrap: Imran Khan calls for early polls after parliament dismisses no-trust vote

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Imran Khan bowled a yorker at his rivals on Sunday by getting the presidential nod for the dissolution of Parliament, a move dubbed as “unconstitutional” by the Opposition parties which approached the apex court to challenge the decision. The Supreme Court of Pakistan, which had taken a suo motu notice of the situation the country, adjourned the hearing on the Opposition’s plea over the dissolution of the National Assembly till April 4. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked all the political parties to maintain law and order. In a surprise move, the no-trust vote against the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was dismissed as “unconstitutional” by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, leading to vociferous protests by the Opposition. Mr. Khan congratulated the nation for the no-trust motion being dismissed, saying the Deputy Speaker had “rejected the attempt of changing the regime (and) the foreign conspiracy”. The stunned Opposition termed the entire process to reject the no-confidence motion and dissolution of the National Assembly against the Constitution and its lawmakers refused to leave the premises of the parliament house. The Pakistan Army has denied its role in the events. Military spokesman Maj.Gen. Babar Iftikhar made the remarks while speaking to a private TV channel in the wake of rejection of a no-confidence motion and subsequent dissolution of the Assembly. Follow our live updates here. Bharat Biotech to upgrade facilities after WHO suspends supply of Covaxin The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday suspended supply of Bharat Biotech’s COVID vaccine, Covaxin, to allow the manufacturer to upgrade facilities and address deficiencies found during an inspection last month. A statement issued by the WHO said the suspension was in response to the outcomes of its post EUL (emergency use authorisation) inspection, held between March 14–22, 2022, and the need to conduct process and facility upgrades to address recently identified GMP (good manufacturing practice) deficiencies. While there will be interruption in supply of Covaxin, the risk assessment to date does not indicate change in the risk-benefit ratio, the WHO said, adding that available data indicate the vaccine is effective and no safety concern exists. In a statement issued on April 1, Bharat Biotech said it was fully committed to implementing facility improvements and upgrades to ensure that the production of Covaxin meets all global regulatory requirements. Sri Lankan government restores access to social media following backlash Sri Lanka restored access to social media sites and messaging apps on Sunday afternoon, after its early morning decision to block usage sparked wide criticism. Condemning the social media ban, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka said it was a “vital aspect” of the freedom of expression of people, and “as important as traditional media”. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka observed that the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) had “no authority” to ask service providers to restrict social media access, on the basis a “request from the Ministry of Defense.” Opposition members too slammed the government for “stifling” free expression. Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka blocked all major social media platforms and messaging apps, even as public criticism grows over the Rajapaksa administration’s crisis response. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission attributed the decision to a request from the Ministry of Defence until further notice. The move applies to Facebook, Messenger, YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, Twitter, IMO, Instagram, Telegram, Snapchat, and TikTok. An island-wide curfew is already in place since Saturday, after the government declared an Emergency amid reports of citizens’ groups planning a series of protests this weekend. The curfew order issued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said: “no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore”, until 6 a.m. on Monday, April 4, 2022. Since Saturday evening when the curfew came into effect, police have arrested over 660 persons for “violating” the curfew. Senior lawyer groups and Opposition members slammed the government over the move that they alleged targeted protests swelling in the country. At least six killed, 10 injured in Sacramento shooting Police in California are searching for at least one suspect in connection with a mass shooting early Sunday in downtown Sacramento that claimed six lives and left 10 other people injured. Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area at about 2 a.m. when they heard gunfire. When they arrived at the scene, they found a large crowd gathered on the street and six people dead. Another 10 either took themselves or were transported to hospitals. No information was given on their conditions. Authorities don't know whether one or more suspects were involved and are asking for the public's help in identifying who is responsible. Ms. Lester did not give specifics on the type of gun used. This is “a very complex and complicated scene,” she said. Ms. Lester issued a plea to the public, asking for witnesses or anyone with recordings of the incident to contact police. Shortly after the shooting, video was posted on Twitter that showed people running through the street amid the sound of rapid gunfire. Video showed multiple ambulances at the scene. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said on Twitter: “Words can’t express my shock & sadness this morning. The numbers of dead and wounded are difficult to comprehend. We await more information about exactly what transpired in this tragic incident.” Residents were asked to avoid the area, which is packed with restaurants and bars, including the London nightclub. In brief A leading rights group said on Sunday it had documented what it described as “apparent war crimes” committed by Russian military forces against civilians in Ukraine. Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement saying it had found “several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations” in Russian-controlled regions such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. The statement, published in Warsaw, came a day after dead civilians were found lying scattered through the streets of the Ukrainian country town of Bucha, three days after the Russian Army pulled back after a month-long occupation of the area 30 km northwest of Kyiv. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow [logo] The Evening Wrap 03 APRIL 2022 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( Imran Khan calls for early election after parliament dismisses no-confidence vote against him  Pakistan’s Prime Minister [Imran Khan bowled a yorker at his rivals]( on Sunday by [getting the presidential nod for the dissolution of Parliament]( a move dubbed as “unconstitutional” by the Opposition parties which approached the apex court to challenge the decision. The Supreme Court of Pakistan, which had taken a suo motu notice of the situation the country, adjourned the hearing on the Opposition’s plea over the dissolution of the National Assembly till April 4. Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial asked all the political parties to maintain law and order. [Pakistan’s paramilitary soldiers arrive to take position outside the National Assembly in Islamabad on April 3, 2022. Pakistan’s President has dissolved the National Assembly setting the stage for early elections after Prime Minister Imran Khan sidestepped a no-confidence move earlier in the day. ] In a surprise move, the no-trust vote against the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician was dismissed as “unconstitutional” by Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, leading to vociferous protests by the Opposition. Mr. Khan congratulated the nation for the no-trust motion being dismissed, saying the Deputy Speaker had “rejected the attempt of changing the regime (and) the foreign conspiracy”. The stunned Opposition termed the entire process to reject the no-confidence motion and dissolution of the National Assembly against the Constitution and its lawmakers refused to leave the premises of the parliament house. The Pakistan Army has denied its role in the events. Military spokesman Maj.Gen. Babar Iftikhar made the remarks while speaking to a private TV channel in the wake of rejection of a no-confidence motion and subsequent dissolution of the Assembly. [Follow our live updates here.]( Bharat Biotech to upgrade facilities after WHO suspends supply of Covaxin The World Health Organisation (WHO) on Saturday suspended supply of Bharat Biotech’s COVID vaccine, Covaxin, to allow the manufacturer to upgrade facilities and address deficiencies found during an inspection last month. A statement issued by the WHO said the suspension was in response to the outcomes of its post EUL (emergency use authorisation) inspection, held between March 14–22, 2022, and the need to conduct process and facility upgrades to address recently identified GMP (good manufacturing practice) deficiencies. [A health worker shows vials of COVID-19 vaccine Covaxin at a vaccination centre in New Delhi. File] While there will be interruption in supply of Covaxin, the risk assessment to date does not indicate change in the risk-benefit ratio, the WHO said, adding that available data indicate the vaccine is effective and no safety concern exists. In a statement issued on April 1, [Bharat Biotech said it was fully committed to implementing facility improvements]( and upgrades to ensure that the production of Covaxin meets all global regulatory requirements. Sri Lankan government restores access to social media following backlash Sri Lanka [restored access to social media sites and messaging apps]( on Sunday afternoon, after its early morning decision to block usage sparked wide criticism. Condemning the social media ban, the Bar Association of Sri Lanka said it was a “vital aspect” of the freedom of expression of people, and “as important as traditional media”. The Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka observed that the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) had “no authority” to ask service providers to restrict social media access, on the basis a “request from the Ministry of Defense.” Opposition members too slammed the government for “stifling” free expression.  Earlier in the day, Sri Lanka blocked all major social media platforms and messaging apps, even as public criticism grows over the Rajapaksa administration’s crisis response. The Telecommunications Regulatory Commission attributed the decision to a request from the Ministry of Defence until further notice. The move applies to Facebook, Messenger, YouTube, WhatsApp, Viber, Twitter, IMO, Instagram, Telegram, Snapchat, and TikTok. An island-wide curfew is already in place since Saturday, after the government declared an Emergency amid reports of citizens’ groups planning a series of protests this weekend. The curfew order issued by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa said: “no person shall be on any public road, railway, public park, public recreation ground or other public ground or the seashore”, until 6 a.m. on Monday, April 4, 2022. Since Saturday evening when the curfew came into effect, police have arrested over 660 persons for “violating” the curfew. Senior lawyer groups and Opposition members slammed the government over the move that they alleged targeted protests swelling in the country. At least six killed, 10 injured in Sacramento shooting Police in California are searching for at least one suspect in connection with [a mass shooting]( early Sunday in downtown Sacramento that claimed six lives and left 10 other people injured. Sacramento Police Chief Kathy Lester said at a news conference that police were patrolling the area at about 2 a.m. when they heard gunfire. When they arrived at the scene, they found a large crowd gathered on the street and six people dead. Another 10 either took themselves or were transported to hospitals. No information was given on their conditions. Authorities don't know whether one or more suspects were involved and are asking for the public's help in identifying who is responsible. Ms. Lester did not give specifics on the type of gun used. This is “a very complex and complicated scene,” she said. Ms. Lester issued a plea to the public, asking for witnesses or anyone with recordings of the incident to contact police. Shortly after the shooting, video was posted on Twitter that showed people running through the street amid the sound of rapid gunfire. Video showed multiple ambulances at the scene. Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg said on Twitter: “Words can’t express my shock & sadness this morning. The numbers of dead and wounded are difficult to comprehend. We await more information about exactly what transpired in this tragic incident.” Residents were asked to avoid the area, which is packed with restaurants and bars, including the London nightclub. In brief A leading rights group said on Sunday it had [documented what it described as “apparent war crimes” committed by Russian military forces]( against civilians in Ukraine. Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement saying it had found “several cases of Russian military forces committing laws-of-war violations” in Russian-controlled regions such as Chernihiv, Kharkiv, and Kyiv. The statement, published in Warsaw, came a day after dead civilians were found lying scattered through the streets of the Ukrainian country town of Bucha, three days after the Russian Army pulled back after a month-long occupation of the area 30 km northwest of Kyiv. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow  Today‘s Top Picks [[Australia beat England by 71 runs to win women’s cricket world cup] Australia beat England by 71 runs to win women’s cricket world cup]( [[In a first, high schools to start in Assam tea estates] In a first, high schools to start in Assam tea estates]( [[Humidity hurdle for NIT in world’s wettest place] Humidity hurdle for NIT in world’s wettest place]( [[Parents’ debt weighs down many children orphaned by COVID-19] Parents’ debt weighs down many children orphaned by COVID-19]( Copyright @ 2021, THG PUBLISHING PVT LTD. If you are facing any trouble in viewing this newsletter, please [try here]( If you do not wish to receive such emails [go here](