PM urges SC to review its decision on Punjab poll, constitute full bench

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has once again urged the country’s top court to review its decision on Punjab polls delay case and constitute a full court to hear the matter saying the coalition government will accept any decision announced by the full bench excluding “two judges”. “We should respect the superior court and its judges but they should enforce the same laws on themselves that they are applying on others,” he remarked while addressing a ceremony in Islamabad on Thursday. #Live: Prime Minister @CMShehbaz addressing a ceremony in Islamabad https://t.co/uUvecdKaeB — Radio Pakistan (@RadioPakistan) April 6, 2023 His statement comes shortly after the National Assembly (NA) passed a resolution against the Supreme Court’s (SC) declaration that the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone elections in Punjab was “illegal”. The three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan — had also fixed May 14 as the date for the poll in the province. Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Khalid Magsi presented the resolution before the NA after it was prepared by the coalition parties of the incumbent government. Criticising the SC verdict in today’s address, the prime minister said the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court, constituted initially to hear Punjab polls delay case, reduced to three-member. Also read: NA passes resolution against SC polls order, asks PM, cabinet to not obey it “The two-judges who initially recused themselves from hearing the case should not have become a part of the bench,” he said while referring to the three-judge bench that overruled ECP move to postpone elections in Punjab. “Who would have raised objections over the verdict had it been announced by the full court,” the PM added. PM Shehbaz said his party was not running away from elections “as doing so would be tantamount to political death of a political party”. He also urged all stakeholders to play their due role in resolving the challenges that the country is facing. “My government alone cannot solve problems all stakeholders have to play their role.”

from Pakistan News, Latest News Pakistan, Pakistan Headline | The Express Tribune https://ift.tt/l6SBeHT