As soon as the Supreme Court rejected the petition regarding the formation of a full court to hear the Punjab CM election case as requested by the ruling alliance, bar councils and CM Hamza Shahbaz, Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) Chief Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman along with the leadership of allies addressed a press conference to declare that they would boycott the court proceedings, if the court denies the formation of a full court.
The PDM Chief, while addressing the media stated that the current verdict of court is considered to be biased and unfair, while adding that only a full court could ensure a fair verdict.
He further added that ‘if SC rejects to form full bench on the Punjab CM elections case, then we also reject this verdict of SC’
Adding to it, Federal Minister for Planning and Development Ahsan Iqbal stated that Imran Khan’s prerogative has always been respected. Similarly Chaudhry Shujaat prerogative should also be respected.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister and Chairmain PPP Bilawal Bhutto Zardari stated that ‘we would be boycotting the hearings until our demands are accepted’
Before concluding the presser, Maulana Fazl declared that the PDM has decided that we won’t present ourselves before the current bench, unless a full court is formed.
Meanwhile, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah threatened to boycott the court proceedings if the Supreme Court (SC) rejects the petition to constitute a full bench for hearing the case related to the ruling of Punjab Assembly deputy speaker.
While talking to the media outside the SC building prior to the hearing, Rana Sanaullah said that they will boycott the court proceedings if full bench is not formed. “Hamza Shahbaz will not become a party in the case and it is not a threat.”
He said that the court had ruled about the party chief’s superior powers for giving instructions to the political party. Sanaullah said that the formation of full bench will end the controversy. The interior minister said that the top court is likely to hear the review petition of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) today or tomorrow.
He said that all political parties of Pakistan are present in the alliance [Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM)] and they are requesting for the formation of a full bench. Sanaullah added that they wanted to club all petitions besides hearing the petitions of the 25 dissident lawmakers.
“The 25 lawmakers had been deseated on the instructions of a party chief. We are now requesting for a full court bench which will increase the dignity of the court.”
Earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) vice president Maryam Nawaz on Monday said that impact of Supreme Court’s verdicts stays for decades and intensifies over time.
She alleged that petitions were being filed with the court and were not being fixed or were facing delay but the SC was opened at night so that PTI can submit a petition against PA Deputy Speaker ruling.
Our justice system is such that when a petition is filed, the people already know what bench will be constituted and the decision that will be given, she said.
Maryam gave several examples of the PML-N’s legal woes, claiming that the party’s leaders were being discriminated against.
She said that since Hamza was elected chief minister of Punjab, he was not being allowed to work. “He goes from parliament to court, and back and forth. What justice is this?”
The PML-N vice president pointed out that there were many respected judges appointed to the apex court and questioned why they were not involved in hearing the PML-N’s cases.
“One or two judges, who have always been anti-PML-N and anti-government, they are repeatedly included in the bench,” she said.
During the press conference, Maryam alleged that court decisions were favouring the PTI even though they were mocking the judicial system.
Meanwhile, during the media talk, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana
Fazlur Rehman endorsed Maryam’s view saying that fingers were being pointed at the judiciary.
He said that the government wanted to strengthen the judiciary, where its decisions spoke for themselves. “They shouldn’t have any conflict or give the impression of a bias.”
He said that the government was given the mandate by the people was not being allowed to function.
“You are sitting behind a wall. You may decide whatever you want […] and make politicians the culprit in the eyes of the public and defame them. But if there’s moral courage, hold yourself accountable.”
The Maulana said that the government did not expect any justice from the current bench and reiterated the government’s demand for a full court bench.
He went on to say that the government supported what Maryam said earlier, saying that this was their “united stance”.
Meanwhile, Bilawal Bhutto has reiterated that the coalition government only has one demand: the formation of a full bench to hear the case related to the Punjab CM’s election.
Coalition government was addressing a press conference in federal capital ahead of hearing by the apex court on Chaudhry Parvez Elahi’s petition challenging the Punjab Assembly deputy speaker’s ruling.
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto said that this cannot happen that three people decide the fate of this country. Three people cannot decide on whether this country will run on a democratic, elected or selective system,” he said.
He repeated “It cannot be possible that three people change Pakistan’s 1973 Constitution with just the stroke of a pen”.
It is pertinent to note that earlier, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Hamza Shahbaz Sharif filed a petition in Supreme Court to form a full court bench on the plea filed by Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in which he challenged the Deputy Speaker Punjab Assembly’s ruling on Chief Minister Election on July 22.
Appeals of deviant members against the Election Commission are also requested to be heard with a ruling case.
In the petition, it has been prayed that the ruling of Deputy Speaker Sardar Dost Mohammad Mazari is correct. The Election Commission declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s letter of instructions against defecting members valid.
While it has also been pleaded that the letter by PML-Q head Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain is also according to the law and constitution.
Meanwhile, aviation Minister Khawaja Saad Rafique also urged people by stating that the only solution to aver the political crisis that facilitators of Imran Khan sitting in the institutions must stop intervention and let political forces decide about the political decisions.
Saad Rafique talking here alleged that ‘Project Imran Khan’ facilitators wanted to attack the parliamentary democracy of Pakistan followed by blue-eyed appointments in the Pakistan Armed Forces and judiciary and finally facilitators of Imran wanted to change the spirit of the Constitution of 1973.
He said if coalition parties would not bring no-confidence move against Imran then Imran with the help of facilitators would get two-third majority.
He urged let politicians decide about the political decisions and if Imran khan wants to remove our government but only through the constitutionally no-confidence motion.
He said there would be no different decisions on a same issue. “This Imran Khan bash army and ECP and moves himself towards Article 6.”
“If you want to fix the economy then Imran Khan should come up with the democratic ways,” he further added.
To a question, he replied, “Nothing will happen to Punjab”.
The minister said that Imran Khan vandalized green belts of Islamabad during his long march. Has anyone asked him or held him accountable?
PMLN VP already stated that Imran Khan is ladla (blue-eyed) but her party would not accept the unilateral decisions of the judiciary.
Federal Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman also stated that the coalition parties in their plea requested the apex court’s larger bench to circumvent discrimination during the proceedings of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) leader Chaudhary Parvez Elahi’s petition challenging the deputy speaker’s ruling.
Addressing media outside the Supreme Court, the minister said there were contradictory standards of the authorities on the issue of letter of PML-Q President Chaudhary Shujat Hussain presented at the Punjab Assembly.
“There is no doubt about it that the party leader is the parliamentary leader of any political party at the floor of the house. He is the one who nominates his party’s parliamentary leader in the Assembly,” Sherry Rehman said.
She said it was clear that the leadership of the coalition government was hoping that the apex court’s larger bench would be allowed to hear the case for ensuring fairness.
The minister said that Article 63-A had been discussed which was silent on the issue that the political party leader’s directives would be given preference over the decree of a parliamentary leader who was being nominated by the political leader of that party.
“The previous decisions were given on this precedent that if there was dispute between a party’s leadership then how could it form a government in the parliament,” she said.
She maintained that the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) filed its petition through Farooq H. Naik, however neither Naik nor the counsel for the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) were allowed to argue in the apex court.
“The court is requested to hear all the political parties, as Farooq Naik was not heard despite his request,” she maintained.
The minister said the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) was creating chaos in the country as there was uncertainty all over, “The economic crisis will subside once the political turmoil is over.”
Responding to a question, she said the parliamentary leader used to implement the directions on legislation guided by the party president and also direct voting in the elections of the house.
Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Law and Justice Azam Nazeer Tarar on Monday said that only the head of a political party was the authority to declare the party policy in accordance with the previous judgments of the apex court.
Talking to newsmen outside the Supreme Court along with Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan and PML-N Leader Attaullah Tarar, he said that all the ambiguity into the matter would be removed with the constitution of a full bench of apex court.
Azam Nazeer Tarar said that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q)’s head wanted to support PML-N’s candidate in the Punjab province as it was already in alliance with the ruling party in federal government and its two MNAs were part of the federal cabinet.
He further said that the top court had given judgment in 2015 that party’s head had the authority to take decisions regarding party’s policy, adding that a full court bench now could examine the situation and interpret the article 63A.
The minister said that it had been stated that a party’s chief was a strong voice of the concerned political party who decides party tickets, voting in the house and even he could suspend the party membership of anyone.
He said that they would accept the judgment of the full court bench into the matter.
