Pakistan Supreme Court on Thursday restored the National Assembly and ordered its speaker to call a session on April 9 to organise a no-confidence vote against Prime Minister Imran Khan’s government, PTI reported.
Earlier in the day, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had said that the dismissal of the no-confidence vote moved by the Opposition against Khan’s Tehreek-e-Insaf government was erroneous, reported the Dawn.
The five-member bench, headed by Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Mandokhel, was hearing the matter related to the legality of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri dismissing the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan on April 3.
Suri had said that the motion had contravened Article 5 of the country’s Constitution, which deals with loyalty to the State and obedience to the Constitution. President Arif Alvi had dissolved the National Assembly after the decision.
The no-confidence motion was tabled against Imran Khan’s government on March 28. The Opposition had alleged that the cricketer-turned-politician had failed to control inflation and was responsible for the economic crisis in Pakistan.
On Thursday, Justice Mandokhel observed that the ruling did not have the deputy speaker’s signature, but was signed by Speaker Asada Qaiser. He pointed out that the minutes of the parliamentary committee meeting did not prove whether the deputy speaker was present.
While pronouncing the verdict, the court said that the government cannot interfere in the participation of any Member of National Assembly in the session, Dawn reported.
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