Imran Khan in 2019. Photo: Samir Hussein/WireImage
Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Prime Minister Imran Khan's move to dissolve parliament and call for early elections was unconstitutional, AP reports.
Why it matters: Khan will now be forced to face the no-confidence vote he had tried to avoid on Saturday, and the result could see him ousted from power.
Catch up quick: Khan has resisted calls to resign in recent weeks despite facing a series of defections that cost his ruling coalition their majority in Parliament.
- Earlier this week he had his deputy speaker block a parliamentary no-confidence motion against him on the basis that it was "unconstitutional" and subsequently ordered the dissolution of parliament while calling for new elections.
The big picture: The Supreme Court ruled that Khan's effort to block the no-confidence vote was unconstitutional and that therefore the call to dissolve parliament was invalid, the BBC reported.
- In addition to allowing the no-confidence vote to go ahead, Pakistan's top court also restored the parliament and cabinet, per Bloomberg.
- The decision to dissolve parliament was “declared contrary to the constitution and the law,” Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial said of the unanimous verdict, per Bloomberg.
- If Khan loses the no-confidence vote on Saturday, the opposition will appoint a new prime minister that will hold power until Aug. 2023, when a new election is set to be held, per the BBC.