Islamabad (Staff Report/Agencies): Supreme Court judge Justice Muneeb Akhtar says a speaker can reject a resolution as per the Assembly rules.
Justice Muneeb Akhtar remarks came while a larger bench of the Supreme Court – headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan, Justice Mazhar Alam Khan Miankhel, Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail — resumed hearing on the suo motu notice taken by the CJP.
During the hearing, the top court rejected a plea filed by PPP lawyer Farooq H. Naek to form a full court bench to hear the matter. Naek had said that the case concerned complex matters of the law and therefore all judges of the apex court should sit on the bench.
“The no-trust motion was submitted on March 8, 2022, while the assembly session was called on March 25 instead of March 21. The NA deputy speaker adjourned session on March 25 after Fateha till March 28,” Naek said.
The speaker didn’t provide any reason for not convening the meeting till March 20 after the motion was submitted, he added.
At this, Justice Mandokhel objected that Naek’s case involves the act of speaker in Sunday's NA session.
“Tell [me] if the speaker did right or wrong,” the judge asked Naek.
“Wouldn’t the resolution be dismissed if there are 100 members and of them 50 are in its favour and 25 are against it,” Justice Akhtar observed.
On Sunday, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Qasim Khan Suri dismissed the no-trust move against Prime Minister Imran Khan, terming it ‘unconstitutional’.
The session started with the recitation of the Holy Quran. Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri chaired the session.
Suri said the resolution could not be voted upon as it was allegedly supported by a foreign power. He also adjourned the session indefinitely.
As the session started, Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry termed the no-confidence motion a foreign conspiracy to change the regime in Pakistan.
On Thursday, PM Imran addressed the nation days ahead of voting on a no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly that will decide his fate.
In his televised address to the nation, the premier said it will be decided on Sunday whether the nation will pursue an independent foreign policy or tow the policy of slavery.
PM Imran said that he will not resign and fight till the last ball so that people, who do not want independent policy in Pakistan can be exposed before the entire nation.
