Body blow to Imran Khan: Pakistan SC restores National Assembly; orders Speaker to call session on April 9 to hold no-confidence vote

PTI

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 7

The Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday unanimously rejected the bypassing of the no-confidence motion in the National Assembly on Sunday against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government.

The Court also held that the dissolution of the Assembly was unconstitutional.

This sets the stage for a fresh no-confidence vote in the National Assembly on April 9 at a time when the political power base of Punjab assembly was poised on a razor’s edge.

In a meeting held at a private hotel in Lahore, the opposition claimed that 199 legislators had “elected” Shahbaz Sharif’s son Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the Chief Minister.

India has declined to comment on the political turmoil in Pakistan saying it is an “internal matter” of that country but noted that it is keeping an eye on the developments in Islamabad. “It is their internal matter. I do not have any comment to make on this. We are keeping an eye on it but we do not comment on internal matters (of any country),” said External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

During the hearing itself, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial noted that the Deputy Speaker’s ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95. “The real question at hand is what happens next. We have to look at national interest,” he had said.

Pakistan began undergoing a political upheaval after the Deputy Speaker of National Assembly blocked a no-confidence motion against Khan. Subsequently, Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the House and endorsed Khan’s recommendation to hold fresh elections in 90 days.

Pakistan’s opposition parties immediately approached the Supreme Court and challenged the Deputy Speaker’s decision to dismiss the no-confidence motion.

Pakistan Supreme Court Chief Justice Bandial headed a five-member bench and heard the matter for four consecutive days beginning with the day the no-confidence motion was dismissed.

13:20 07 Apr

Army's silence making their claim of neutrality doubtful: Pakistan Oppn

The opposition Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) has again asked the military leadership to clarify its position on the issue of alleged foreign conspiracy in the no-confidence resolution against Pak Prime Minister Imran Khan, stating that silence was making their claim of neutrality doubtful, Dawn reported. Speaking at a news conference after presiding over a meeting of the PDM with PML-N president Shehbaz Sharif, president of the opposition alliance Maulana Fazlur Rehman said if the Supreme Court gave any verdict against them then they had the right to go to the people's court.

10:39 07 Apr

Constitutional crisis

The apex court may rule on the "unconstitutional" act by National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri to block the vote of no-confidence against Prime Minister Imran Khan as it deliberates over the case for the fifth consecutive day today.

The CJP had taken suo motu notice of the constitutional crisis that was triggered after Suri disallowed voting on the motion on April 3, deeming it "unconstitutional" — a move that the Opposition said was a blatant violation of the Constitution.

09:36 07 Apr

Imran Khan's claim on US seeking to overturn his govt fictional: ex- Trump official

Dubbing Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan's claim that the US is looking to overturn his government as “concocted”, a former top Trump administration official said that the country is entering a period of political uncertainty. “I think that Imran Khan has concocted this idea that somehow the US is looking to overturn his government. He simply has concocted this story to try to shore up his own base and gain support for his position,” said Lisa Curtis, who was Trump Administration's point person for India during his four years.

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