PM says will accept ruling of Supreme Court's full bench

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif stated on Thursday that the government would accept the Supreme Court's verdict in the election dispute in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Speaking during the laying of the foundation stone for the Islamabad Attorneys Complex on Thursday, he stated that judges who recused themselves should not be appointed to that court.

According to the 24News HD TV channel, the PM recalled that Justice Munir established the doctrine of necessity which created troubles for Pakistan.

He said they respect the Supreme Court and its justices, and their decisions should apply to everyone.

Talking about proceedings of the Supreme Court in the case for elections, he mentioned that a nine member bench was formed which was later shortened to three members as some judges recused.
In the same case, political parties were not made part of the proceedings despite requests, he noted.
Shehbaz Sharif said if the demand for a full bench of the Supreme Court was accepted in the case for elections in Punjab ad Khyber Pakhtunkhwa then everybody would have accepted the decision.
He said the decision of Supreme Court Justice Qazi Faez Esa was invalidated through a circular in a case then a six member larger bench was formed for the same case. Article 63A of the constitution was rewritten and the appeal filed by the government in the Supreme Court was still not heard, he continued.
He said no political party could evade elections as it would bury its politics.
He said a court verdict was given that a prime minister was nothing without his federal cabinet but this principle was not applied on others.
He said all the stakeholders should look at their conduct and decide whether they wanted to protect future of coming generations or they wanted to indulge in fights for their personal interests and take Pakistan in a direction from which nobody could come back.
“We have to protect the future of Pakistan which is faced with many challenges. We should take decision with a cool head and stay united for the interest of Pakistan.”
While expressing happiness at the construction of Lawyers Complex, he said the project would be built at a cost of Rs 1.8 billion.
Earlier, the project was only on papers and nothing was done on it, he told. He directed that sports complex comprising swimming pools should also be made part of the lawyers complex.
He said lawyers were prominent section of society and they played important role for the rule of law, restoration of judiciary and justice since the creation of Pakistan.
Lawyers bore baton charge and physical violence as they held demonstrations and rallies for the restoration of judiciary, he added.
Earlier, Minister for Interior Rana Sanaullah and Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar also spoke and highlighted measures taken for the welfare of lawyers.