Supreme Court terms deputy speaker’s ruling, assembly dissolution ‘unconstitutional’

Islamabad: In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court on Thursday termed the deputy speaker’s ruling conflicting to the constitution and restored the dissolved national assembly.

The court nullified all the measures taken by Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi and said the speaker could not adjourn national assembly’s session without voting on no-confidence motion.

The court ordered to call the legislature’s session on Saturday for voting on no-confidence motion. It also ordered to keep the voting process free of impediments.

After the conclusion of arguments from all respondents, the Supreme Court on Thursday reserved the verdict in suo motu case about the dismissal of no-confidence motion in the national assembly (NA) through a ruling by the deputy speaker that it had annoucned to pronounce at 7:30pm.

Before releasing the verdict, the court had also summoned Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja after the electoral body had excused from organizing elections within three months.

The court said the election commission will notify about the next general elections.

He complained that the delimitations were not carried out despite they repeatedly they wrote 116 letters to the government. He added that some seven months are required for the process. However, Raja said they are ready to hold the polls in the country.

The Supreme Court had taken notice of the political turmoil after Prime Minister Imran Khan dissolved the NA on Sunday after a controversial ruling by NA deputy speaker.

A five member larger bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial is hearing the case.

During the hearing, CJP Bandial said it is evident that NA deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s move to dismiss the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan through a controversial ruling is a violation of Article 95. “Now we have to see what happens next,” he said.

Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) said he was not defending speaker’s ruling and his concern was the new elections.

Justice Jamal remarked that they have to give the verdict on the basis of law and constitution and not what is happening around.

CJP said they have to protect the national interest and added that the court would give its verdict today.

NA Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif said to the court that the dissolution of the assembly is also wrong if the speaker’s ruling is erroneous. He urged the court to restore the lower house.

Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail asked Shehbaz what problem he has in going to elections, to which he replied that the issue was an abrogation of the constitution.

CJP remarked that in a democracy, the party with majority stays in catbird position.

In a previous hearing, the apex court had sought the record of NA proceedings conducted on the no-confidence motion filed against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

The court in the first hearing rejected a request to suspend NA deputy speaker Suri’s ruling regarding the no-confidence motion.

The apex court had also rejected a plea by Farooq H Naek, who is representing the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and other opposition parties, to form a full-court bench to hear the matter.