- Consults legal experts to analyze legal options against SC verdict
- Orders audit of Supreme Court, OGRA, NEPRA on PAC’s proposal
ISLAMABAD: In the midst multi-faceted crisis and ongoing face-off between the government and Supreme Court over its verdict on Punjab polls delay case, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday held meetings with his legal team and leaders of all coalition parties to laying focus on how to deal with the apex court verdict about holding elections in Punjab.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced that the government will table another resolution in the National Assembly following the apex court’s verdict on Punjab elections on Thursday (today).
According to sources, Shehbaz Sharif and government legal experts 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 Mansoor Usman Awan attended the huddle.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif chaired a meeting of the leaders of Coalition Parties in Islamabad today. pic.twitter.com/y9WDaLeUZW
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 5, 2023
The sources further revealed they also pondered over the [possible situation] if 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).
On the other hand, addressing a meeting of the leaders of all coalition parties on Wednesday, the prime minister referred to the decision by the Supreme Court’s three-judge bench, saying a mockery was being made with the Constitution and law and that the fate of the nation was being decided with strange decisions.
وزیراعظم شہباز شریف کا حکومتی اتحادی جماعتوں کے سربراہان کے اجلاس سے خطابhttps://t.co/uzlc480Rav
— Government of Pakistan (@GovtofPakistan) April 5, 2023
He said that the three-member bench had not only rejected the appeal for constitution of a full bench to hear the case but also dismissed pleas by other political parties.
“How a decision of another bench was neglected while members of the three-judge bench who had earlier recused themselves and again joined it?” he questioned.
He said that a circular was issued over Justice Isa’s directive, followed by formation of a six-member bench that took up the issue and decided it.
The premier also noted the directive of the three-member bench on holding elections in Punjab province and observations on the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa election.
The prime minister elaborated that last week, a detailed meeting was held with leaders of the ruling coalition’s parties, followed by two cabinet meetings and parliamentary meetings over the evolving situation.
The prime minister said that purpose behind holding of the meeting of coalition parties was to mull over the situation and evolve a solid response.
He said that the ongoing session of the lower house of the Parliament had debated the issue and a resolution had already been passed earlier, adding that another resolution would be tabled in the house tomorrow (Thursday).
Meanwhile, Federal Climate Change Minister and senior PPP leader Senator Sherry Rehman has expressed reservations on the verdict of the three-judge Supreme Court bench.
In a series of tweets uploaded on her official handle, 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.”
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?”
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 Shehbaz Sharif had said that ZAB’s murder had taken place on April 4, 1979, and on the same date, 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.
‘Audit of Supreme Court, other institutions’
Meanwhile, taking notice of Public Account Committee’s proposal, PM Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday issued the order for audit of Supreme Court, Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA), National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (NEPRA) and all other institutions.
According to TLTP, quoting PAC Chairman Noor Alam Khan, the committee had written a letter to the prime minister regarding non-audit of ministries and related organizations. Now, the prime minister ordered the Auditor General of Pakistan to carry out audit of all institutions and submit a report in a month.
The PAC also directed the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to recover Rs44 billion from Biaco Company which instead of paying back got its name changed in SECP. Noor Alam asked how come the SECP changed the company’s name sans ensuring repayments. The PAC chairman directed the FIA to work with the Petroleum Ministry for the recovery of the hefty amount.
