SRINAGAR: Pakistan Supreme Court has overturned Imran Khan’s decision-making and restored the national assembly. Now, Khan will be facing a no-confidence motion on Saturday.
With his ousting now clear, it is not known if the cricketer will play the last ball or will go with the defeat on no-confidence. Pakistan has had two occasions in its brief history of democracy when two of its Prime Ministers resigned days ahead of losing on the number count. If Khan decides to go with the move, he will be the first premier to get ousted through no-confidence. No prime minister in Pakistan has ever completed a full five-year term in office.
Khan had managed a surprise for the united opposition when the Deputy Speaker ruled that the no-confidence motion was against the Constitution. In a quick-follow up, Khan announced fresh elections within 90 days, as on his recommendation, the President dissolved the assembly. The opposition took the case to the Supreme Court where a verdict came today. The court rejected the Deputy Speaker’s decision thus ordering a status quo ante.
The verdict gave the opposition a new lease of life. They celebrated the verdict on social media. Khan had already lost the majority in the assembly as part of his flock had also joined the opposition. However, Khan has been consistently claiming that the no-confidence motion against him was a “conspiracy” dictated by a foreign country to prevent Pakistan from having its independent foreign policy.
A 5-judge bench that started hearing the case early morning has said the prime minister was bound by Constitution and therefore, he could not advise the president to dissolve assemblies. It has termed the president’s decision to dissolve the National Assembly as “illegal”. The Election Commission of Pakistan, Geo TV reported had told the Court that an election cannot be held before seven or eight months.
