Former Pak PM Nawaz Sharif hails apex court's decision to restore country's National Assembly
Apr 07, 2022
London [UK], April 8 : Former Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday hailed Pakistan Supreme Court's decision to restore the National Assembly after it declared the government's decision to dissolve the assembly "unconstitutional".
Slamming Imran Khan, Sharif said the people of Pakistan are thanking God that this decision has been announced, saying that the beleaguered Prime Minister made the common people of Pakistan starve.
"I would like to congratulate everyone in the country. People have gotten rid of such a person who ruined the country. He made common people starve. The dollar has reached 200 today and people are frustrated with inflation in the country," Nawaz Sharif told media in London.
Pakistan's apex court set aside all the subsequent steps taken after the rejection of the no-confidence vote and reinstated the National Assembly, as well as declaring that the Prime Minister and Federal Ministers, Ministers of State, Advisers, etc, stand restored to their respective offices as on April 3.
"The Speaker is under a duty to summon and hold a sitting of the Assembly in the present Session, and shall do so immediately and in any case not later than 10:30 a.m. on Saturday 09.04.2022, to conduct the business of the House as per the Orders of the Day that had been issued for 03.04.2022 and in terms as stated in, and required by, Article 95 of the Constitution read with Rule 37 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly Rules, 2007 ("Rules")," the Supreme Court verdict read.
The top court further ruled that the National Assembly session on the no-confidence motion must be held at 10:30 AM on April 9 and must not be adjourned until a vote on the motion.
In another significant development, the Election Commission of Pakistan said that it is impossible to hold a general election in three months as scheduled due to the ongoing delimitation of electoral districts, and proposed that they be held in October.
New parliamentary elections in Pakistan were scheduled to be held 90 days after the dissolution of the parliament, which took place last Sunday.
Last Sunday, Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the country's parliament at the request of Imran Khan. He made the proposal minutes after parliament's deputy speaker, Qasim Suri, rejected a motion of no confidence in Khan as unconstitutional.
The decision on the no-confidence vote was challenged by opposition parties in court.
