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Pakistan political crisis LIVE updates: PM Imran Khan to address nation today, calls Cabinet meeting
New Delhi/Islamabad, April 8
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday announced that he would address the nation on Friday evening after his government suffered a setback following the Supreme Court's decision.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday restored the National Assembly after it declared the government's decision to dissolve the assembly and NA Deputy Speaker Qasim Suri's ruling against the Constitution.
Khan said a meeting of the PTI's parliamentary committee would also be convened on Friday and he would "continue to fight for Pakistan till the last ball".
Internal matter, no comment: India
It is their internal matter. I do not have any comment to make on this (turmoil in Pakistan). We are keeping an eye on it, but we do not comment on internal matters (of any country). Arindam Bagchi, EAM Spokesperson
This sets the stage for a fresh no-confidence vote in the National Assembly on April 9 at a time when the political power base of the Punjab Assembly is poised on a razor's edge. In a meeting held at a private hotel in Lahore, the Opposition claimed that 199 legislators had "elected" Shahbaz Sharif's son Hamza Shahbaz Sharif as the Chief Minister.
During the hearing itself, Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial noted that the Deputy Speaker's ruling is, prima facie, a violation of Article 95. "The real question at hand is what happens next. We have to look at national interests," he had said. Pakistan began undergoing a political upheaval after the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly blocked a no-confidence motion against Khan. Subsequently, Pakistan President Arif Alvi dissolved the House and endorsed Khan's recommendation to hold fresh elections in 90 days.