New Delhi: Following the Supreme Court’s decision on the no-confidence vote, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called a cabinet meeting on Friday and announced that he would address the nation on Friday.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday restored the National Assembly after it declared the government’s decision to dissolve the assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri’s ruling as being “unconstitutional”.
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“I have called a cabinet mtg tomorrow as well as our parl party mtg; & tomorrow evening I will address the nation. My message to our nation is I have always & will continue to fight for Pak till the last ball,” the 69-year-old cricketer-turned-politician tweeted.
I have called a cabinet mtg tomorrow as well as our parl party mtg; & tomorrow evening I will address the nation. My message to our nation is I have always & will continue to fight for Pak till the last ball.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) April 7, 2022
The top court ordered National Assembly Speaker Asad Qasier to summon the session on Saturday and not later than 10:30 am for the vote on the no-confidence motion against the premier to take place.
Opposition Leaders Hail SC Verdict, Shehbaz Sharif Likens Imran To Hitler
Welcoming the ruling, former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif claimed that the people of Pakistan are thanking God that this decision has been announced and that the beleaguered Prime Minister made the common people starve.
“I would like to congratulate everyone in the country. People have gotten rid of such a person who ruined the country. He made common people starve. The dollar has reached 200 today and people are frustrated with inflation in the country,” Nawaz Sharif told media in London, as quoted by news agency ANI.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Shehbaz Sharif called it an “epoch-making day”, writing that the “politics of lies, deceit, and allegations has been buried” and the nation had won.
An epoch-making day!
Mubarak to all who supported, defended & campaigned for the supremacy of the Constitution.
Today, politics of lies, deceit & allegations has been buried.
People of Pakistan have won! God bless Pakistan 🇵🇰
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) April 7, 2022
Addressing a press conference at the Supreme Court premises, he also likened Imran Khan to Hitler saying, “Nazi Hitler prevailed to dissolve the Reichstag [German Parliament] and thereby solidified his position by abrogating the Constitution and ending the Weimar Republic – Imran Niazi is doing the same in Pakistan”, news agency PTI reported.
Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari celebrated the verdict remarking “Democracy is the best revenge!”.
Democracy is the best revenge!
Jiya Bhutto!
Jiya Awam!
Pakistan Zindabad.
— BilawalBhuttoZardari (@BBhuttoZardari) April 7, 2022
Congratulating the nation, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said that Shehbaz Sharif would become the next Prime Minister.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) expectedly expressed disappointment over the top court’s ruling with Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry calling it an “unfortunate decision”.
“Immediate elections could have brought stability to the country. Unfortunately, the importance of the people has been overlooked,” he tweeted.
Special Assistant to the Prime Minister for Political Communication Dr Shahbaz Gill claimed that Pakistan had returned to the same situation as 1947, continuing to claim foreign conspiracy behind toppling the Imran Khan-led government.
Notably, the Election Commission of Pakistan had stated that it was impossible to hold a general election in three months as announced by PTI due to the ongoing delimitation of electoral districts and proposed that they be held in October.
Pakistan’s apex court has set aside all the subsequent steps taken after the rejection of the no-confidence vote as it reinstated the National Assembly. It declared that the Prime Minister and Federal Ministers, Ministers of State, Advisers, etc, stand restored to their respective offices as on April 3.
(With Agency Inputs)