Constitutional crisis: SC adjourns hearing of suo motu notice till tomorrow

ISLAMABAD (92 News) – The Supreme Court adjourned the hearing of the suo motu notice of the ruling of the National Assembly deputy speaker about the no-confidence motion till Tuesday.

Earlier during the hearing, Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial ruled that the court will issue an appropriate order on the prevailing constitutional crisis in the country.

Responding to the arguments of Raza Rabbani, he remarked that the court will listen to the second party and will not announce the verdict in the air. "We will review the constitutional and legal status of what happened in the National Assembly. Whether the deputy speaker can give the ruling like the speaker?"

Babar Awan, counsel for the government, contended that they are ready to conduct the elections. However, the court stopped Babar Awan from issuing a political statements.

The court rejected a miscellaneous petition seeking formation of a full court to hear the matter.

Addressing the PPP counsel Farooq H Naik, the CJP remarked that the court will stop the proceedings if they do not trust it. "Other cases are also affected by the full bench. The court will form the full bench if it considers it fit," he ruled.

Farooq H Naik said that the no-confidence motion cannot be rejected after being filed. "We they have full trust in the bench. He contended that the speaker knew it was an illegal act and he was absent from the proceedings for this reason," he contended.

Justice Muneeb Akhtar observed that he thinks the deputy speaker has no power to issue such ruling. Justice Jamal Mandokhel said that the no-confidence motion has to be decided by voting.