LAHORE: The ruling alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) will meet here today (Saturday) with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in the chair to discuss the prevailing political situation in the country with particular reference to the polls delay case being heard at the Supreme Court.
According to the sources, the meeting will be held at premier’s residence in the Model Town where leaders of the ruling coalition parties will chalk out a strategy to deal with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and the legal challenges being faced by the alliance.
It is to mention here that the supreme court is hearing a case pertaining to the delay in elections to the Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa assemblies amid controversy over the suo-moto notice taken in this regard.
The Imran-led party had challenged the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) March 22 order to postpone elections in the two provinces. A five-member bench originally formed to take up the PTI petition had been dissolved twice after two judges, one by one, recused themselves from the hearing following another Supreme Court bench’s order to postpone all proceedings under Article 184(3).
However, after the recusal of the two judges, a three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Munib Akhtar and Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan is now hearing the PTI petition.
On the other hand, supreme court on Friday rejected the government’s request to form a full court, deepening the continuing crisis as the former premier minister Nawaz Sharif has openly rejected the bench.
Law minister to brief PDM leadership
Azam Nazeer Tarrar, Federal Minister for Law and Justice will brief the participants of the meeting about the overall situation pertaining to the legal battle being fought out in the Supreme Court on the question of elections for the provincial assemblies of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and a disputed suo-moto.
Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan also had an important meeting with premier Shehbaz in Islamabad before the latter’s departure for Lahore a day earlier.
According to the sources, the ruling alliance would also consider a proposal to knock the door of the Supreme Judicial Council on certain matters. A strategy to deal with the possible agitation by the PTI would also be discussed in the meeting. The sources said that Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Quaid, Nawaz Sharif will also join the discussions from London.
