After the National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri dismissed the no-confidence motion against former Prime Minister Imran Khan on April 3, 2021. The Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial made the observation after taking notice of the current situation in the country and the subsequent dissolution of the NA by President Dr Arif Alvi.
The suo moto notice was taken by the CJP on Sunday and the ruling was expected sooner but the judges wanted to hear all arguments from both the parties.
After every tareekh par tareekh, every citizen of Pakistan is curious about the decision of the Supreme Court. Pakistan actor and host Iffat Omar is also concerned about the ruling of the court.
Expressing her views on Twitter, the actor wrote: “Tomorrow we will hear the government lawyers, the day after tomorrow the Attorney General and day after that someone else. Uncle, you are a Judge of Supreme Court, not the Indian Idol.”
کل ہم حکومتی وکلاء کو سنیں گے ۔۔۔پرسوں اٹارنی جنرل کو ۔۔ترسوں فلاں کو ۔۔
انکل آپ indain idol کے نہیں سپریم کورٹ کے جج ہیں ۔🙆
— Iffat Omar Official (@OmarIffat) April 6, 2022
CJP, while hearing a petition on whether Imran Khan and his allies had the legal right to dissolve parliament, Thursday said the April 3 ruling of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri to dismiss the no-confidence motion against the former PM, was erroneous, according to a report by Dawn.
Chief Justice Bandial noted that Suri’s move to dismiss a no-trust motion against Khan through a controversial ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95 of the Constitution. “The real question at hand is what happens next,” he was quoted as saying by Dawn.
The remarks came as a five-member bench, headed by the CJP Umar Ata Bandial, took up the case around 9.30 am Thursday. Senator Ali Zafar, representing the President Arif Alvi, was asked by the Bench as to whether the prime minister was the people’s representative and if the “Parliament was not a guardian of the Constitution”.
The Supreme Court asked the President’s lawyer as to how could there be a constitutional crisis if everything was happening according to the law of the land.
The CJP also asked whether the formation of the federal government was an “internal matter” of the Parliament.
“The real question at hand is what happens next,” he said, adding that now the PML-N counsel and the Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Khalid Jawed Khan would guide the court on how to proceed.
“We have to look at national interest,” he said, adding that the court would issue a verdict on Thursday.
Restore NA, Shehbaz urges SC
Right before the bench reserved the verdict, opposition leader Shehbaz Sharif was given the rostrum.
Shehbaz said he hoped that when the deputy speaker’s ruling was suspended, the no-confidence motion would be revived, adding that if the speaker’s ruling is declared nullified, the dissolution of assembly ends automatically.
“I have one request … Restore the NA,” Shehbaz said.
PML-N lawyer Makhdoom Ali Khan said that the PM had announced he would give a surprise. “Such things shouldn’t be said.”
To this, the CJP replied: “We have clarified our decision on surprise.”
The chief justice also said noted that the opposition had always demanded new elections. “Why aren’t you agreeing today?”
At this, Shehbaz said that the joint opposition would, together, make electoral amendments to ensure transparent elections. “The common man is miserable. We want to work for them and provide them relief.”
All eyes were on the ruling of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The fate of the country was expected to be decided after Thursday’s ruling at 7:30 pm which was an hour later announced by the judges.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan’s decision was to restore the National Assembly and nullify deputy speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling.
Tell us in the comments box that what do you think of the ruling?
____________________________________________________
Cover image via @iffatomarofficial/Instagram, Dawn.com