Pakistan: Five-member SC bench formed over dissolution of National Assembly

In a major development amid the ongoing political chaos in Pakistan over the dissolution of the National Assembly, the Supreme Court formed a five-member larger bench headed by the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial over the situation in the NA on Sunday.

Among those who reached the top court were Attorney General Khalid Jawed Khan, the members of PTI and the opposition. Post the consultations with fellow judges over the constitutional situation, reported ARY News.

After the dissolution of the National Assembly, President Supreme Court Bar Ahsan Bhoon called the CJP to take notice of the situation and declare the unconstitutional step null and void. "There is no constitutional justification for dissolution of the assembly," he added.

Amid the high political drama, the Supreme Court has taken a suo moto notice of the dissolution of the National Assembly by President Arif Alvi on Sunday.

Earlier Imran Khan, in his address to the media, said that he has advised the President to dissolve the Assembly following which Arif Alvi dissolved the NA. Elections are likely to be held in the next 90 days.

"I have written to the President to dissolve the Assemblies. There should be elections in a democratic way. I call upon the people of Pakistan to prepare for elections," Khan said in an address to the nation.

National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, who was chairing today's session, dismissed the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government, terming it a contradiction of Article 5 of the Constitution.

In retaliation, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari said that Imran Khan's advice to President to dissolve National Assembly is a violation of the Constitution.

"Government has violated the Constitution by not allowing voting on the no-confidence motion. United Opposition is not leaving Parliament. Our lawyers are on their way to Supreme Court. We call on all institutions to protect, uphold, defend and implement the Constitution of Pakistan," said Bilawal.

Bilawal further said that everyone witnessed the violation of the Constitution.

"Everyone has seen what happened in Pakistan today. President, Speaker can easily see that the Opposition had a majority against Imran Khan in the no-confidence motion," said Bilawal.

Lashing out at the Deputy Speaker, he said, "He has done unconstitutional thing at the last moment. He broke the Constitution of Pakistan. The no-trust vote had to take place today as per the Constitution."

He said that Opposition members have decided to protest against the unconstitutional move in the National Assembly and have decided to not leave the floor till their Constitutional rights are not given to them.

Imran Khan has seemingly lost support both in the Lower House of the legislature and the backing of the all-powerful Pakistan Army.

The opposition party had moved the no-trust motion against the PM on March 8. Imran Khan received a massive blow when the PTI "lost the majority" in the National Assembly after losing its key ally in the coalition Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P). The MQM announced that it had struck a deal with the opposition Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and would support the no-trust vote in the 342-member National Assembly.

( With inputs from ANI )

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