Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has said that he would “welcome” Prime Minister Imran Khan as the next opposition leader after the success of the no-confidence vote against the latter in the National Assembly.

In a statement on Thursday, Zardari expressed the hope that as an opposition leader the PTI chief plays a role in democracy.

“After Mian Shahbaz Sharif is elected Prime Minister, Imran Khan will be the Leader of the Opposition. I will welcome Imran Khan to become Leader of Opposition in National Assembly,” it read.

Zardari's statement came as the Supreme Court on Thursday restored the National Assembly and declared the ruling of the National Assembly deputy speaker issued on April 3 null and void. The apex court also declared the dissolution of the House illegal and against the Constitution.

“It is declared that the [no-confidence] Resolution [against the prime minister] was pending and subsisting at all times and continues to so remain pending and subsisting,” read the SC’s short order.

Many workers and lawyers belonging to opposition parties, who had gathered outside the Supreme Court building on Constitution Avenue were seen celebrating after the announcement of the short verdict by the five-member SC bench. All the five judges of the larger bench unanimously voted 5-0 against the deputy speaker’s ruling.

Talking to reporters outside the Supreme Court in Islamabad, multi-party confab leader Fazlur Rehman urged the masses to observe Friday (today) as “thanksgiving day”. The SC had given a satisfactory verdict as per “expectations of the people” of the country, he added.

The apex court had also ordered that the session of the lower house of parliament reconvene on Saturday no later than 10:30am, saying that the session cannot be prorogued without the conclusion of the no-trust motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.

PM Imran will address the nation today and had called a meeting of the freshly restored cabinet and the parliamentary leaders of the party. The premier has reiterated to “fight till the last ball” as the opposition claims they will now be giving a “surprise” to the PTI government.