The Sindh Bar Council has also filed a petition against the deputy speaker of the National Assembly’s dismissal of a no-confidence motion.
The SBC also became a petitioner in the high-profile case in which the judiciary will attempt to rescue the country from the constitutional crisis precipitated by the NA deputy speaker’s ruling and the subsequent dissolution of the National Assembly by President Arif Alvi on Prime Minister Imran Khan’s advice.
The SBC pleaded with the court to declare the deputy speaker’s decision null and void and to reschedule voting on the no-confidence motion.
Additionally, the court was asked to vacate the presidential order dissolving the National Assembly.
The deputy speaker was required to hold a vote on the no-confidence motion, the petition stated, adding that the no-confidence motion could not be dismissed without first consulting National Assembly members.
The petition concluded that on the advice of the prime minister, the NA deputy speaker and president took an unconstitutional step.
Additionally, the Supreme Court will hear its suo motu notice of the National Assembly deputy speaker’s decision dismissing the joint opposition’s no-confidence motion.
A five-judge larger bench of the Supreme Court, chaired by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprised of Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Mian Khel, Justice Muneeb Akhtar, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel, will hear the case at 12 p.m. today (Tuesday).
Naeem Bukhari, the attorney for NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri, and Raza Rabbani, the attorney for the PPP, will present their cases.
The Punjab advocate general will respond to the suspension of voting in the Punjab Assembly for the election of the chief minister.
The Supreme Court has directed that all parties submit written responses and limit their arguments to one page.
The CJP is likely to issue an order following today’s hearing, as he desired to issue a “reasonable order” yesterday, but the court refrained from doing so due to the incomplete nature of the arguments.
During Monday’s hearing, Justice Muneeb stated that “he believes that, under the rules, the deputy speaker has the authority to run the house only in the absence of the NA speaker, but he lacks the authority to make such a ruling.”
