Table of Contents
What’s happening?
- Pakistan’s supreme court was to rule on the legality of political manoeuvres that led Prime Minister Imran Khan to dissolve the national assembly and call fresh elections.
- A five-member bench of the apex court, led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial, has heard Opposition appeals for five consecutive days amid growing pressure for a quick verdict.
- The court is deciding if the deputy speaker of the assembly violated the constitution by refusing to allow a no-confidence vote against Mr Khan at the weekend.
- The move allowed Mr Khan to get the presidency — a largely ceremonial role taken by a loyalist — to dissolve parliament and order an election, which must be held within 90 days.
- Had the vote taken place, Mr Khan was certain to have been booted from office.
Internal business
- Pak PM’s lawyer Imtiaz Siddiqui said, “The Speaker took a better decision as per his oath. It is entirely the internal business of Parliament and can’t be questioned.
- The court has not interfered in the proceedings of parliament in the past. The proceedings of the House are beyond the jurisdiction of the judiciary.”
- Former Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Thursday said that under Article 69 of the Constitution, the ruling of the speaker could not be challenged.
- Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Thursday noted that National Assembly (NA) Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95.
Opposition party
- Leader of Opposition Shahbaz Sharif on Thursday said Parliament should be restored if the apex court ruled Suri’s decision was “erroneous”.
- “The no-confidence motion against Imran Khan will automatically be restored once the apex court rules out the deputy speaker,” Sharif said.
- The Opposition assured the court it had the numbers to protect the Constitution, Geo News reported. Shahbaz further said Pakistan’s political stability was inter-connected with its Constitution.
Pakistan election commission
- Responding to a letter by President Arif Alvi in this regard, Pakistan’s Election Commission said that the body is ready to hold elections in October 2022.
- The body went on to add that as per the country’s Constitution and laws, the Election Commission will need four more months to complete the process of delimitation.
- 6-7 months needed to conduct delimitation and nationwide election
What happened in 1988?
- In 1988, Muhammad Khan Junejo appealed to the court after the assembly was dissolved by then-president General Zia-ul-Haq, who had taken power in a military coup years earlier.
- The court agreed his government had been dissolved unconstitutionally, but ruled that since elections had been announced anyway it was best to move on.
India on Pakistan
- India on Thursday declined to comment on the political turmoil in Pakistan saying it is an “internal matter” of that country but noted that it is keeping an eye on the developments in Islamabad.
- “It is their internal matter. I do not have any comment to make on this. We are keeping an eye on it but we do not comment on internal matters (of any country),” External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi
Q) Who administers the oath of affirmation of the speaker of Lok Sabha?
- President of India
- Chief Justice of the Supreme Court
- Senior most member of the Lok Sabha
- None of these
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