In major setback to Imran khan, Pak SC restores parliament, orders no trust vote on Saturday

The Supreme Court of Pakistan has set aside deputy speaker's ruling to dismiss the no-trust resolution against Prime Minister Imran and the subsequent dissolution of the NA by the president on the PM's advice, with all five judges unanimously voting 5-0 against it.

The apex court ruled that President Dr Arif Alvi's decision to dissolve the National Assembly was "illegal" and restored Prime Minister Imran Khan as well as his cabinet.

"...the prime minister did not have the right to advise the president to dissolve the assembly [...] all the decisions made till date have been nullified," the top court's ruling said, reports The News.

The Supreme Court ordered for the session of the National Assembly to reconvene on Sunday at 10:30am. saying that the session cannot be adjourned without the conclusion of the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had said that the court will move forward only after seeing national interest and practical possibilities.

The chief justice noted that the deputy speaker's ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95, as the apex court resumed deliberation over the "unconstitutional" act by Suri for the fifth consecutive day today.

The apex court's five-member larger bench — headed by Justice Bandial and comprising Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel — is hearing the case.

Ahead of the verdict, the Supreme Court summoned Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja, who arrived at the court with the watchdog's legal team.

A large number of lawyers, media personnel and politicians, including PML-N's Shehbaz Sharif and PPP's Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, were at the court ahead of the verdict.

Attorney General for Pakistan 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 added.

On 3 April, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial had taken a suo motu notice of the constitutional crisis that erupted after Suri disallowed voting on the motion, deeming it "unconstitutional and foreign-funded" — a move that the Opposition said was a blatant violation of the Constitution.