Islamabad: Pakistan’s Supreme Court sought Wednesday minutes of the National Security Council meeting from the government. It also adjourned till Thursday the hearing of the crucial case about rejection of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan. The rejection of the no-confidence motion was done through a controversial ruling by the deputy speaker of the National Assembly.
Qasim Khan Suri ruled Sunday that the no-confidence motion was linked with a ‘foreign conspiracy’ to topple the government. Hence the motion was not maintainable. Minutes later, President Arif Alvi dissolved the National Assembly on advice of Prime Minister Khan.
The apex court within hours took suo motu notice of it. A five-member bench started hearing the case Monday. The bench is headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and includes Justices Ijazul Ahsan, Mohammad Ali Mazhar, Munib Akhtar and Jamal Khan Mandokhail.
During the third day of the hearing Wednesday, Babar Awan appeared for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party. It is the party founded by Imran Khan. Ali Zafar represented President Alvi.
Chief Justice Bandial asked Awan about the minutes of the recent meeting of the National Security Council which had discussed a letter. During the hearing, Justice Bandial questioned the basis on which the deputy speaker issued the ruling, ‘Dawn’ newspaper reported.
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“Can the speaker announce such a ruling without presenting the facts,” Bandial asked. He added that this was the constitutional point on which the court had to make a decision.
Bandial also asked Awan to inform the court whether the speaker could issue a ruling that was not on the day’s agenda by bypassing Article 95. He told the PTI counsel to defend the ruling with ‘solid’ evidence.
“Where are the minutes of the NSC meeting?” Bandial asked Awan.
After Awan, Zafar began his arguments. He insisted that any direction from the court on the matter of the deputy speaker’s ruling would exceed its jurisdiction.
Pakistan Peoples Party lawyer Raza Rabbani and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz counsel Makhdoom Ali Khan have already completed arguments.
However, Naeem Bokhari, counsel of deputy speaker Suri, and Attorney General Khaled Javed Khan, representing the government, are among the lawyers who have not yet presented their views on the case.
During the hearing Wednesday, the chief justice repeatedly reminded the lawyers to conclude their arguments at the earliest to let the bench issue an order.
