New Delhi: Pakistan's Supreme Court issued a landmark verdict on Thursday, resolving a constitutional crisis that arose last week.
Prime Minister Imran Khan, a self-styled populist leader and former cricket star was chastised by the court. The court found that Khan violated the constitution when he dissolved Pakistan's Parliament last week to avoid losing power in a no-confidence vote.
However, analysts in the country's politics said the ruling was both shocking and encouraging.
Let's have a look at what is happening in Pakistan's political corridors:
Voting On No-Confidence Motion Against PM Imran Deferred Till 7:30 PM
The National Assembly session to decide Prime Minister Imran Khan's destiny has been deferred till 7:30 p.m. due to iftar and Maghrib prayers, the Dawn reported.
Today's session, chaired by NA Speaker Asad Qaiser, began at 10:30 a.m. sharp, in compliance with Supreme Court directions, and with the recitation of the Holy Quran. It was followed by the national anthem and prayers for MNA Shazia Sobia's recently departed mother.
However, Speaker Asad Qaiser opted to postpone the session shortly after when Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif approached the floor on a point of order and made a brief statement reminding the Speaker that he was required to follow the top court's judgement, news agency PTI.
During his address, MPs from Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) began interrupting and calling him a beggar, a clear allusion to his previous comment that "beggars can't be choosers."
To remove the prime minister through the no-trust motion, the opposition requires the backing of at least 172 members out of a total of 342 MPs.
Following the adjournment of the session, the treasury and opposition benches met in the speaker's chamber, with the latter calling for procedures to be conducted in accordance with the Supreme Court's directions.
Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PTI leader Amir Dogar represented the government, while the opposition was represented by Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Rana Sanaullah, Ayaz Sadiq, Naveed Qamar, and Maulana Asad Mahmood.
Imran Khan-Led PTI Files Review Petition Challenging SC Order On Deputy Speaker's Ruling
The Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government filed a review appeal in the Supreme Court on Saturday, contesting the court's decision to deem the deputy speaker's verdict to dismiss the no-confidence vote against the prime minister as unconstitutional, news agency PTI reported.
Respondents in the review petition were the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the Supreme Court Bar Association, the Sindh High Court Bar Association, and the Sindh Bar Council.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan unanimously overturned deputy speaker Qasim Suri's ruling on the rejection of Prime Minister Khan's no-confidence motion and ordered the restoration of the National Assembly, saying the prime minister's move to dissolve Parliament and call early elections was "unconstitutional."
A five-member court led by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial declared that the deputy speaker's decision was "contrary to the Constitution and the law, and of no legal consequence, and the same is thus set aside" in a momentous 5-0 decision.
Pak PM Khan Calls Cabinet Meeting Late On Saturday Night
According to local media sources, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan called a meeting of his cabinet members late Saturday night, despite the fact that his administration is set to lose a no-confidence vote later that evening, news agency PTI reported.
Khan has called a Cabinet meeting at 9.00 p.m. at Prime Ministers' House in New Delhi. According to Geo News, which cited high-level sources, the summit is anticipated to make significant decisions.
Many people were surprised by the gathering because the no-confidence vote is anticipated to be concluded by approximately 8 p.m., and Khan has a little chance of surviving it.
(With inputs from agencies.)