Reference against CJP, two other judges under consideration: Sana

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said the government is considering filing a judicial reference against three judges of the Supreme Court, including the Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, who are hearing the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition against postponement of elections in Punjab. The statement comes amid a deepening judicial crisis in the country, with judges of the apex court divided on the constitution of benches hearing key political cases—including the one over snap polls in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa provinces, where former prime minister Imran Khan had dissolved assemblies earlier this year in a bid to force early elections. Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had ordered polls to be held in the two provinces within 90 days of the dissolution of the two provincial assemblies, which falls by April 30. However, the National Assembly passed a new law this week to curtail the discretionary powers of the chief justice, a move that escalated the row between the higher judiciary and the coalition government. "We can bring references against the judges against whom we have reservations," he said in an interview on Express News programme 'Center Stage' on Saturday. Read more: Coalition parties express 'no confidence' in CJ-led bench hearing polls delay case Sanaullah said that while he and his colleagues hold deep respect for the three judges on the bench, they have reservations about the scope of their rulings, hinting that a reference may be filed against these judges. "We have serious concerns. We may discuss filing reference against the judges," he added. Sanaullah predicted that the PTI would eventually reach out to everyone, despite their philosophy of not engaging with certain individuals. "We will bring them to a point that they will be forced to [kneel and] hold everyone’s feet," he added. He further stated that former prime minister Imran Khan has not personally extended any offers for negotiations, and any offer made by others hold no significance. "If Imran Khan is interested in holding negotiations, he should make direct contact with Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Asif Zardari, or Shehbaz Sharif," he said. The interior minister stated that while the Dawn leaks may have been a factor, there were many other reasons for the PML-N government's downfall during its previous tenure. He alleged that the ‘leaks’ were part of a conspiracy, and the then-establishment was involved in it, adding that former army chief General (retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa was now revealing the truth. He alleged that former chief justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Saeed Khosa, and other judges currently on the Supreme Court bench had conspired against his party. Rana Sanaullah also discussed the PDM meeting on Saturday and said that the heads of all coalition parties were present, including Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Asif Zardari who participated via video link from Dubai. Also read: Imran threatens street protests if polls not held in 90 days According to him, it was unanimously decided during the meeting that the proceedings of the three-member bench were “illegal and unconstitutional”. He said that there were no dissenting opinions expressed during the meeting, adding that the PPP leadership is in full agreement with the PDM. Sanaullah said that there was no need to take suo moto notice on the case regarding the elections and requested the court to dismiss the petition. He said that orders lacking a constitutional and legal basis would not be binding. Expressing reservations, the PML-N leader said that another Supreme Court bench had ruled that suo moto notice cannot be taken until rules were framed, yet the current bench was continuing proceedings. "The bench, which began as a nine-member panel, is now reduced to a three-member minority," he said. Responding to a question about a possible PML-N boycott of the elections, Sanaullah remarked that if elections are not scheduled yet, then how can there be a boycott or resignations. He said that their party has a public mandate until August 16, after which the caretaker setup would conduct elections. Speaking about the possibility of protests by the PTI, the interior minister said that he would make matters for the PTI even more miserable than it was on May 25, adding that he believes the situation needs to be dealt with more strictly. Sanaullah emphasised that any action taken by the government will follow the law. He further stated that the cases filed against individuals belonging to the PTI were not based on false charges. For instance, he said, cases against individuals involved in the Judicial Complex and Zaman Park incidents were only filed due to their own actions. Regarding the economy, Rana Sanaullah criticised Imran Khan again for the country's economic downturn. He expressed confidence that the government would succeed in alleviating the burden on the common man and bringing the economy back on track.

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