The political history of Pakistan has often witnessed a clash between pillars of state and key official functionaries. The Supreme Court of Pakistan has vast powers which can change the course of direction for the nation and have a profound effect on parliament.
In a landmark verdict, the Supreme Court announced to restore the dissolved National Assembly and declared that the Deputy Speaker’s ruling to dismiss voting on the no-confidence motion against the prime minister was unconstitutional. Consequently, the court ordered that a session of the National Assembly should be reconvened and the voting should be held.
The assembly proceedings on April 3 to stop voting on the no-confidence motion had met with a strong reaction from the opposition and legal fraternity. It was considered akin to subverting the constitution and created a political crisis. The prime minister’s offer to hold early elections was not taken with keen interest as the rights of lawmakers had been violated.
The apex court’s verdict is a historic one and complies with the Constitution. The judges of the superior courts were keen on a middle ground but ultimately made the unanimous decision that the constitution should not be violated. Given the troubled history of our institutions, the verdict will end debate on the legal deficiencies and the outreach of the court in parliamentary matters.
The verdict also comes as a blow to the prime minister who agreed to respect the verdict. The premier’s trump card to avoid being unceremoniously sent packing has been blown. The court also did not heed to the narrative that there was an organized conspiracy to oust him from power. However, the prime minister could bring up another surprise as he considers his future course of action.
The verdict stresses on strictly adhering to the constitution and parliamentary procedure. The court had distanced itself from any politics and focused on supremacy of the Constitution. It will indeed be a lesson for future governments and political parties that the constitution cannot be twisted to serve vested interests. It is the collective responsibility of all institutions to uphold the integrity of parliament and the sanctity of the Constitution.
