Supreme Court to deliver verdict on deputy speaker’s ruling today

Karachi: Pakistan’s Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict on the matter of the Rejection of the No-Confidence Motion by the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and subsequent dissolution of Parliament at 8 pm Indian time.

Pakistan Chief Justice (CJP) Omar Ata Bandial on Thursday said it was clear that the April 3 decision of National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri, which rejected the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, was wrong.

During the fourth day’s hearing, Chief Justice Bandial underlined that prima facie the arrangements given by the Deputy Speaker in the House were violative of Article 95 of the Constitution.

“The real question is what happens next,” CJP said, adding that now PML-N’s lawyer and Pakistan’s Attorney General (AGP) Khalid Javed Khan will guide the court on how to proceed.

“We have to look at the national interest,” the Chief Justice said, adding that the court will pronounce the verdict today. He made the observations as a five-judge bench headed by CJP Bandial. The bench will resume hearing the matter today, which was earlier adjourned for a day on Wednesday.