ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said that the Supreme Court’s verdict had hurt the expectations of legal fraternity, petitioners, media and the public for justice.
The prime minister, in a tweet following three-member bench’s verdict striking down the Punjab deputy speaker’s ruling on the chief minister’s election, said that for sake of judiciary’s reputation and justice, the formation of a full court was essential to ensure that justice was not only done rather seemed to be done.
He said the constitution had trusted the state’s powers to parliament, executive and judiciary and had bound all the institutions to perform while observing their limits.
Vowing not to make any compromise on the supremacy of constitution as well as the parliament, the prime minister said that no institution could breach the jurisdiction of others.
Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz also reacted strongly to the Supreme Court’s verdict declaring Hamza Shehbaz’s re-election as Punjab chief minister null and void with party’s Vice-President Maryam Nawaz terming it a “judicial coup”.
In another tweet, the PML-N leader said that her party won’t accept the “murder of justice” in the case.
Addressing a presser shortly after the verdict, PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said that a “self-suiting” interpretation had led to the decision.
“We asked the top court continuously to constitute a full court to hear the case,” she added.
The PML-N leader vowed to win the legitimacy of parliament back to the masses.
Aurangzeb also announced that today marks the beginning of the second phase of the judiciary’s revival.
According to the party spokesperson, had a full court been constituted, the verdict in the case would have been different.
Speaking on the occasion, PML-N leader Ataullah Tarrar said the decision was against democracy.
Questioning the “double standards of justice”, Tarrar said there can’t be two standards of justice for “Imran Niazi” and the PML-N.
Shortly before the verdict, Maryam, daughter of the PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, asked the ruling coalition to “stand firm” and “rise to the occasion”.
Furthermore, senior Pakistan Peoples Party leader Farhatullah Babar had urged the coalition partners to “act decisively” in the face of the situation.
On July 23, Maryam said her party should not be expected to bow down to “unilateral decisions”.
