Pakistan SC restores National Assembly, Imran Khan to face no-trust vote on April 9

File image of Imran Khan (Image: Reuters)

The Supreme Court of Pakistan on April 7 reversed Imran Khan government's decision to dissolve the National Assembly, calling the move "unconstitutional".

The five-member bench unanimously ruled that the decision of Deputy Assembly Speaker Qasim Suri to dismiss the Opposition's no-trust motion was "illegal".

The apex court has ordered the assembly to reconvene at 10:30 am on April 9, further stating that the session cannot be adjourned without holding the no-trust vote.

The voting was earlier scheduled to take place on April 3, but Khan took his political rivals by surprise after the deputy speaker dismissed the motion, claiming that it violates the Constitution due to the involvement of a "foreign conspiracy".

Shortly after the no-confidence motion was dismissed, Khan advised President Arif Alvi to dissolve the assembly -- a move that necessitates fresh elections within 90 days.

Minutes before Supreme Court's verdict, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Sikandar Sultan Raja arrived in the courtroom and reportedly conveyed to the bench that holding a fresh election within 90 days would not be possible.

Analysts believe Khan is set to demit office once the voting on the no-confidence motion is held. With over a dozen lawmakers from the ruling Tehreek-e-Insaf Party (PTI) defecting, and Khan's key ally MQM-P severing ties with him, the Opposition is set to secure more than 172 votes that are needed to bring down the government, they opine.

The Opposition lawmakers, who have united under the coalition named as Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), have decided to nominate Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Shehbaz Sharif, who is also the brother of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, to helm the new government after Khan's ouster.

If the no-trust vote prevails and Shehbaz Sharif forms the next government, he would have around a year's period to discharge the prime ministerial role as the assembly's tenure is scheduled to expire in around July next year.