New Delhi: Pakistan’s beleaguered Prime Minister Imran Khan threw a yorker at his rivals on Sunday after getting the presidential nod to dissolve parliament, a move that opposition parties termed as “unconstitutional”. The latter has approached the Supreme Court challenging the decision.
In a suo motu hearing on the issue later on Sunday, Pakistan’s Supreme Court barred all state institutions from taking any “extra-constitutional” steps in the wake of rejecting a no-confidence motion in the National Assembly. A three-judge bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Umar Ata Bandiyal heard the matter.
Chief Justice Bandiyal said that public order must be maintained and that no state functionary would take any “extra-constitutional” step in the current political situation, adding that in connection with the dissolution of the National Assembly by the Prime Minister and the President, All orders and actions taken. subject to the order of the Court. The top court adjourned the hearing till Monday.
Earlier, Deputy Speaker Suri rejected the no-confidence motion moved by the opposition against Prime Minister Khan, saying it was against the Constitution and rules of Pakistan. “Trust should be as per the constitution and rules of the country. Since this law has not been pointed out by the minister, I reject the no-confidence motion,” Mr Suri pronounced the verdict amid vehement protests by opposition MPs.
Mr Suri presided over the crucial session after opposition parties filed a no-confidence motion against Speaker Asad Kaiser.
The stunned opposition termed the entire process as unconstitutional and its MPs refused to leave the Parliament building complex which was guarded by security personnel.
Mr Khan was widely expected to lose the no-confidence motion brought by a coalition of opposition politicians in the National Assembly – which included more than a dozen defectors from his own political party.
Mr Khan, who effectively lost a majority in the 342-member National Assembly, gave a brief address to the nation in which he said he recommended the dissolution of the house and called for fresh elections. He congratulated the country for rejecting the no-confidence motion, saying the deputy speaker had “rejected regime change attempts [and] foreign conspiracy”.
