Opposition leaders – including PML-N chief Shehbaz Sharif, PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman – are at the Supreme Court as it hears the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) plea seeking the top court's intervention as the country totters on the brink of a political crisis ahead of the no-trust vote against PM Imran Khan.
On Saturday, the apex court had issued notices to political parties, namely the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan People's Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam--Fazl, Balochistan Awami Party and Balochistan National Party-Mengal related to Friday's incident at the Sindh House in Islamabad, while hearing the SCBA petition.
Supreme Court issues notices to PTI, PML-N, PPP and JUI-F
A two-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial and comprised Justice Munib Akhtar heard the plea seeking peaceful execution of no-confidence vote's proceedings in the National Assembly against Prime Minister Imran Khan. It also sought to prevent a likely clash between the opposition and the government workers ahead of the no-trust move in the federal capital.
The Supreme Court had remarked that it would not interrupt the political proceedings happening in the country, but it would only consider legal perspectives on the issue.
The federal government through the interior and defence secretaries, the prime minister, leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, National Assembly speaker and secretary, Islamabad chief commissioner and deputy commissioner and Inspector General of Police are respondents in the case.
Moreover, the august house urged the unnecessary people to vacate the courtroom as they flocked to it.
Opposition leadership
PDM chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, while speaking to journalists outside the top court, said that in his view the PTI-led government is "illegitimate" while expressing confidence in the success of the no-trust move.
To another question, Fazl said that this was his first visit to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, PPP chief Bilawal said that they had been made a party to the case in the SCBA reference while stating that they would be fighting for their legal and constitutional rights in the top court. "We will not use the court for political sloganeering," he added.
