A larger bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday said the deputy speaker’s dismissal of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan was "unconstitutional".
In a unanimous judgment, the top court set aside the ruling and the steps taken after it including the dissolution of the National Assembly.
The Supreme Court said the Prime Minister was bound by the Constitution, therefore, he could not advise the President to dissolve assemblies.
Meanwhile, the no-trust vote will now be held at 10 am on Saturday (April 9).
The apex court's five-member larger bench -- headed by Justice Bandial and comprising Justice Muneeb Akhtar, Justice Aijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam, and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhel -- was hearing the case
Earlier in the day, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial noted that the deputy speaker's ruling to dismiss the no-trust motion against Imran Khan was a violation of Article 95.
The CJP had taken suo motu notice of the constitutional crisis that was triggered after National Assembly deputy speaker Qasim Suri's disallowed voting on the motion on April 3.
The judge maintained in a written judgment issued during Sunday's hearing that his fellow judges had approached him and had expressed concern over the situation.
"Any orders and actions that Prime Minister Imran Khan and President Arif Alvi regarding the dissolution of the National Assembly shall be subject to the order of this court," CJP Bandial had said taking the notice on Sunday.
Earlier, the SC restrained state institutions from taking any extra-constitutional steps and directed them to act strictly in accordance with the Constitution, besides asking all political forces of the country to remain peaceful.
(With PTI inputs)
