ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday deferred its decision on the deputy speaker’s decision to dismiss the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the National Assembly’s dissolution.
Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Mazhar Alam Khan made up a five-member bench led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial.
According to the court, the verdict in the case will be released at 7:30 p.m. today.
Following consulting with fellow justices, CJP Bandial stated at a hearing of the case that it was evident that the deputy speaker’s decision to dismiss the no-confidence motion filed against the prime minister was “wrong.”
Even after the restoration of the National Assembly, which had been dissolved as a result of the verdict, the top judge stated that there would be no stability in the country.
The court was given a 15-minute break. The CJP stated that following the recess, the court will discuss key aspects of the Constitution, such as democracy and the parliamentary form of government.
Pakistan’s Attorney General, Khalid Jawed Khan, said that everyone must be loyal to the state. He stated that he is not contesting the decision. “However,” he said, “I believe that new elections are the only solution.”
The top court also summoned PML-N President and Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif to the rostrum. Shehbaz claimed that the Constitution had been trampled on several occasions throughout Pakistan’s history, and that the lack of punishment emboldened others, leading to the current situation.
He requested the Supreme Court to reinstate parliament and allow the no-confidence vote to take place. He also urged political parties to join together and adopt an economic charter.
The opposition, according to Justice Mandokhel, has demanded new elections from the start. “It’s not about elections,” Shehbaz said, “but the abrogation of the Constitution.” “We would consult the opposition on electoral changes for transparent elections,” the PML-N leader stated, adding that measures to bring relief to the poor would be done.
The case will be decided on the merits, not the claims, according to the CJ. “Those who levelled treasonous accusations must be able to back them up,” he stressed.
PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari was also heard in court by CJ Bandial. The opposition, according to Bilawal, wants to implement electoral reforms before the next elections. “Bring them to the court,” CJ Bandial ordered Bilawal, “whatever your recommendations for improvements in the Senate are.”
