Amid delay on vote in National Assembly, Pakistan Supreme Court, Islamabad HC convene for midnight sitting
Apr 09, 2022
Islamabad [Pakistan], April 10 : Pakistan Supreme Court and Islamabad High Court convened for midnight sitting to take action if the orders to complete voting on a no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan are not implemented, according to media reports.
Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial has decided to open the Supreme Court's doors amid the current political situation, Geo tv reported citing sources.
Following the government's tactics to delay the voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, a larger bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan is set to hold a hearing in relation to the matter.
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 expected to hear the case, Geo tv said.
The chief justice has instructed the relevant officials of the top court to open the doors at 12am, sources said, as the National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser is yet to allow voting on the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
Meanwhile, Islamabad High Court's doors are also being opened on the instructions of IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah, as per sources.
Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) late Saturday night filed a petition in the apex court for the implementation of its order issued on April 7.
On March 30, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) had hoped the Prime Minister would not make a "secretive" memo public that, according to the government, "threatens" Pakistan's sovereignty.
In a written order, IHC Chief Justice had said the court is confident that as an elected Prime Minister (Imran Khan) would not disclose any information or act in breach of section 5 of the Official Secrets Act, 1923, or violate the oath taken by him under the Constitution.
"Any decision taken by the Prime Minister has to be in consonance with his obligations under the Official Secrets Act, 1923 and in letter and spirit of the oath of the office," the written order had read, Geo tv reported.
Pakistan's Supreme Court in a historic judgement on Thursday had called for the convening of the session of the National Assembly on Saturday after setting aside the April 3 ruling of the Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri against the no-confidence motion on "constitutional grounds".
Declaring the ruling of the Deputy Speaker "to be contrary to the Constitution and the law and of no legal effect", the Court set aside all the subsequent steps taken, including the dissolution of the National Assembly, while also restoring Prime Minister Imran Khan and all the Federal Ministers to their respective positions as of April 3.
In an address to the nation on Friday, Khan reiterated his allegations that a senior US diplomat threatened regime change in Pakistan.