PM Shehbaz, legal experts hold consultations after SC poll verdict

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday chaired a meeting of his legal team in Islamabad laying focus on how to deal with the Supreme Court verdict about holding elections in Punjab, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Shehbaz Sharif and government legal experts, according to sources, held detailed consultations, analyzing constitutional and legal options against the apex court decision.

Federal Law Minister Azam Nazeem Tarar, Attaullah Tarar, Akram Sheikh and Attorney General of Pakistan (AFP) Mansoor Usman Awan attended the huddle.
The sources further revealed they also pondered over the possible situation of the court’s decision was not implemented.

The participants of the meeting also discussed the possible future strategy of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).

It’s our right to protest against SC decision: Sherry

Meanwhile, Federal Climate Change Minister and senior PPP leader Senator Sherry Rehman has expressed reservations on the decision of the three-judge Supreme Court bench.

In a series of tweets uploaded on Monday, Sherry Rehman said “It is the right of political parties to protest against the controversial decision of the three-member bench. When justice, legal and moral requirements are not fulfilled, questions will definitely arise on the decisions. We have not one but several reservations about the decision of the three-judge bench. The composition and division of the bench made the process itself controversial.”

تین رکنی بینچ کے متنازعہ فیصلے پر احتجاج کرنا سیاسی جماعتوں کا حق ہے۔ جب عدل، قانونی اور اخلاقی تقاضے پورے نہیں ہونگے تو فیصلوں پر سوالات ضرور اٹھے گے۔ تین رکنی بینچ کے فیصلے پر ہمارہ ایک نہیں بلکہ کئی تحفظات ہیں۔ بینچ کی تشکیل اور تقسیم نے اس عمل کو ہی متنازعہ بنا دیا تھا۔ 1/3

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) April 5, 2023

The minister said “On March 1, four judges gave a decision against the automatic notice, why was a three-member bench formed when the majority of the judges had already given the decision? The four-judge verdict could have been overruled not by a three-judge bench but by a larger bench or a full-court bench. While the request to form a full court was repeatedly rejected, political parties continued to request to take sides, the position of the political parties participating in the elections was not considered necessary. May 14th becomes 120 days not 90. In Article (2) 224, if elections are to be held within 90 days, what is the purpose behind the date of May 14 in the decision?”
https://twitter.com/sherryrehman/status/1643503991035240448

سیاسی جماعتیں فریق بنانے کی درخواست کرتی رہیں، انتخابات میں حصہ لینے والی سیاسی جماعتوں کا موقف کو ہی سسنے کی ضرورت نہیں سمجھی گئی۔ 14 مئی کو 90 نہیں 120 دن بنتے ہیں۔ آرٹیکل (2) 224 میں اگر 90 دن کے اندر انتخابات کرانے ہیں تو فیصلے میں 14 مئی کی تاریخ کے پیچھے کیا مصلحت ہے؟ 3/3

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) April 5, 2023

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court had fixed May 14 as polling day for the elections in Punjab, setting aside government’s request for forming a full bench on the issue.

Resultantly, the federal cabinet had rejected the Supreme Court’s decision regarding holding elections in Punjab province on May 14. According to sources, the federal cabinet declared the SC’s verdict a minority decision and said that the implementation of a rejected case and minority decision could not be implemented.

Referring to the “judicial murder” of former prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto while speaking in the National Assembly on Tuesday, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif had said ZAB’s murder had taken place on April 4, 1979, and on the same date today, the unfortunate incident was repeated by the apex court.

The prime minister termed Supreme Court’s decision regarding the polls in Punjab as another murder of justice. 

Equating the two decisions, the premier said justice was murdered and it was highly regrettable.

Reacting over the Supreme Court bench decision, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif had suggested to the government that a reference against the three apex court judges should be filed in the Supreme Judicial Council.

Addressing a news conference in London on Tuesday, Nawaz Sharif said the doctrine of necessity has even been invented for dictators and now efforts were being made to bring one person (Imran Khan) back to power.

Reporter Awais Kiyani