Pak SC reinstates National Assembly, orders voting on no-confidence motion against Imran
Darpan News Desk IANS, 07 Apr, 2022 11:17 AM
Islamabad, April 7 (IANS) In a landmark judgement, the Supreme Court of Pakistan ruled on Thursday that the National Assembly Deputy Speakers ruling to dismiss the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan and the subsequent dissolution of the Lower House by the President on the PMs advice were contrary to the Constitution and the law of the land, Express Tribune reported.
The court also ordered to reinstate the National Assembly and summon its session on Saturday to hold voting on a no-trust motion moved against Imran Khan.
A five-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, which also included Justices Munib Akhtar, Jamal Khan Mandokhel, Ijazul Ahsan and Mazhar Alam Khan, announced the verdict, which was reserved earlier in the day.
The top court also summoned the officials of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), including its secretary.
Earlier, during a hearing of the case, Bandial, after consultation with his fellow judges, observed that it was clear that the ruling of the Deputy Speaker to dismiss the no-confidence motion submitted against the Prime Minister was "wrong".
The Chief Justice remarked that there would be no stability in the country even after the restoration of the National Assembly that had been dissolved as a result of the ruling, Express Tribune reported.
Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan argued that everyone needed to be loyal to the state. He said that he is not defending the ruling. "However, I think new elections are the only solution," he said.
The Haqqani network also established close ties with Pakistan's powerful yet notorious Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), which provided it weapons, training, and financial support.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who hosted the summit, and France's Emmanuel Macron were among those calling for an extension in order to more fully evacuate all foreign nationals and vulnerable Afghans who helped the Americans and the NATO allies before the country's recent fall to the Taliban.
The Pentagon promptly announced it will press ahead with plans to require members of the military to get vaccinated amid the battle against the extra-contagious delta variant. Louisiana State University likewise said it will demand its students get the shot.
The situation at the Kabul airport has remained tense ever since the Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours on August 15.
Barrons, a Dow Jones & Company publication, said that tensions in the "Middle East have the potential to lift prices." It noted that earlier JP Morgan had predicted that oil prices could touch $80 a barrel with rising demand and constraint supply.
While Biden has previously blamed Afghans for the U.S. failure to get out more allies ahead of this month's sudden Taliban takeover, U.S. officials told The Associated Press that American diplomats had formally urged weeks ago that the administration ramp up evacuation efforts.
