Pakistani Prime Minister Imran khan faces a likely exit from office after the Supreme Court ruled that a move to dissolve Parliament was illegal and ordered the National Assembly to be restored.
Khan will now face a no-confidence vote on Saturday and the opposition looks certain to unseat him.
Khan will have to step down if 172 members of the 342-member house vote against him. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party has already lost the majority in parliament. More than 190 legislators voted against Khan in a mock session that was held by the opposition on April 3.
“My message to our nation is I have always and will continue to fight for Pak till the last ball,” the former national cricket team captain on Twitter after the top court’s decision which has been dubbed as “historic.”
The PM is also scheduled to address the nation on Friday evening in which, some suggest, he could announce his resignation.
Senator Faisal Javed Khan of the PTI said PM Khan was going to make an “important announcement” in the evening that will turn the opposition’s victory into defeat.
On Thursday, the Pakistani rupee fell to an all-time low against the U.S. dollar amid the political crisis.
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News of the court’s decision was met with cheers of jubilation on Thursday night by dozens of opposition members who were gathered outside the court.
The leader of the opposition in the National Assembly, Shehbaz Sharif, told local news outlets that the court had “definitely fulfilled the people’s expectations.”
But furious supporters of Mr Khan chanted anti-American slogans in reply, as police in riot gear separated the two sides.
In the days leading up to the vote, Mr Khan claimed that the political opposition was in a conspiracy with the U.S. to remove him because of his friendly relations with Russia and China. Washington has strongly denied his claim.
