Pakistan court to hear Khan’s defence of blocking ouster

ISLAMABAD REUTERS April 6  - Pakistan’s top court will on Wednesday hear Prime Minister Imran Khan’s legal team defend his bid to block an opposition bid to oust him, a move his critics say was unconstitutional and which has ushered in a new phase of political turmoil.   

 Khan, lost his parliamentary majority last week and had been facing a no-confidence vote tabled by the opposition that he was expected to lose on Sunday.   

 But the Deputy Speaker of parliament -a member of Khan’s party- threw out the motion, ruling it was part of a foreign conspiracy and unconstitutional. Khan then dissolved parliament.   

 The opposition has challenged the decision to block the vote in the Supreme Court.   

 The Supreme Court panel of five judges has not said when it will give a ruling. It could order parliament be reconstituted, call for fresh elections or bar Khan from power if he is found to have violated the constitution.