The dissolution of Pakistan’s National Assembly has been approved by President Arif Alvi, the presidency confirmed on Sunday.
According to the country’s constitution, new elections will be held within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution, according to State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib.
Prime Minister Imran Khan announced earlier that he had sent advice to the president to dissolve the country’s parliament and hold fresh elections.
The move came just minutes after the parliament’s deputy speaker “rejected” a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, calling it “unconstitutional.”
The dissolution of Pakistan’s National Assembly has been approved by President Arif Alvi, the presidency confirmed on Sunday.
According to the country’s constitution, new elections will be held within 90 days of the assembly’s dissolution, according to State Minister for Information Farrukh Habib.
Prime Minister Imran Khan announced earlier that he had sent advice to the president to dissolve the country’s parliament and hold fresh elections.
The move came just minutes after the parliament’s deputy speaker “rejected” a no-confidence motion against the prime minister, calling it “unconstitutional.”
Earlier, deputy speaker Qasim Suri ruled that the opposition’s motion is “in violation of the constitution” because it is backed by a “foreign power.” As a result, he ruled that the vote on the no-trust motion, which was scheduled for Sunday, could not take place.
The development occurred just minutes after the National Assembly’s high-voltage session began in Islamabad, which had been scheduled to vote on the motion on Sunday.
As soon as the session began, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, who also serves as law minister, rose to his seat and requested a ruling from the deputy speaker on the opposition’s no-trust motion’s “constitutional authenticity.”
Suri “rejected” the motion, accepting Chaudhry’s argument that it violated the Assembly’s rules and regulations as well as the constitution.
The Supreme Court is taking notice.
Opposition Leader Shehbaz Sharif called the prime minister’s move “unconstitutional,” and said Khan and the deputy speaker would be tried for “high treason.”
According to him, the two have violated the constitution.
He stated that the opposition is taking Khan’s “unconstitutional” act to the Supreme Court.
Later, the Supreme Court took suo moto notice of the country’s most recent developments.
The Supreme Court said in a statement that the nation will be informed “soon” of the steps to be taken following the suo moto notice.
According to local broadcaster Geo News, Chief Justice Umar Atta Bandyal directed court officials to receive the opposition’s petitions even on Sunday, a public holiday.
Outside the Supreme Court, Chaudhry expressed concern about the opposition’s petition being received, saying, “The court should not open on Sunday.”
He claimed that the deputy speaker’s decision could not be overturned in a court of law.
The army’s spokesman, Maj. Gen. Iftikhar Babar, responded to reporters’ questions by saying the institution “has nothing to do with whatever happened.”
In a related development, the election of the new chief minister of Punjab was canceled due to the chaos.