In a major development, the National Assembly has passed a resolution rejecting the decision of a three-member bench of the Supreme Court in the Punjab elections to delay the case.
According to the details, the resolution was moved by Balochistan Awami Party MNA Khalid Magsi. The resolution called for not implementing the court decision which was against the law and the Constitution.
Read more: Victory for PTI as SC strikes down ECP decision to delay Punjab poll
It stated that the House rejects the judgment announced by the three-member bench of the SC. “The House considers non-implementation of the executive order a matter of concern. The House also expresses concern over unwanted court interference in political matters,” it added.
The resolution further demanded that the full court should review the judgment of the three-member bench. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also briefly attended the proceedings and left shortly after the resolution was passed.
قومی اسمبلی کے اجلاس میں سپریم کورٹ کے تین رکنی بینچ کے الیکشن کے فیصلے کے حوالے سے قرارداد پیش
خالد مگسی کی طرف سے پیش کردہ قرار داد کو منظور کرلیا گیا pic.twitter.com/Yt17sLRTmT
— National Assembly of 🇵🇰 (@NAofPakistan) April 6, 2023
The Supreme Court had recently struck down the decision of the Election Commission of Pakistan to delay Punjab polls, terming it null and void. While the verdict was celebrated by PTI who had been campaigning for early elections, the PDM-led government rejected the verdict.
The government rejected the verdict during the cabinet’s meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. The Prime Minister described the decision, in the cabinet meeting, as a “mockery of the Constitution and law” and said it could not be implemented. The government would raise its voice in parliament regarding the verdict, which it has now done.
https://twitter.com/pmln_org/status/1643926438679138307
The verdict was announced by a three-member bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan, and Justice Munib Akhtar, which heard the PTI petition against the ECP.
Polling day in Punjab has been set for 14th May and the SC has directed the ECP to postpone the election program by 13 days, saying that the ECP could not go beyond the 90-day stipulated time. The SC also maintained that 13 days were wasted because of the ECP’s unlawful decision.
Furthermore, the federal government has been ordered to provide Rs 20 billion fund to the Election Commission by April 10, instead of April 30.
Read more: PTI launches legal action against cabinet members for rejecting SC verdict