ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has drawn a comparison between the Supreme Court’s verdict on the Punjab elections and the ‘judicial murder’ of late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.
Addressing the National Assembly on Tuesday, PM Shehbaz referred to the ‘judicial murder’ of ZA Bhutto, which took place on April 4, 1979, and said that on the same date today, a similar episode was repeated with a decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the polls delay the case.
The prime minister equated the two decisions, saying that a murder of justice took place, which was highly regrettable.
PM Shehbaz also stated that the cabinet had demanded that a reference regarding the judicial murder of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, which had been pending in the court for the last 12 years, should be taken up for heating and decided by the full court.
He further lauded the late prime minister’s historical contribution as one of the founders of the 1973 Constitution.
SC orders Punjab polls on May 14
Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s March 22 order on Punjab polls null and void.
A three-member bench of the Supreme Court, comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Munib Akhtar, and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, announced the reserved verdict on the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf’s (PTI) petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) order postponing the polls in Punjab and KP.
The Supreme Court of Pakistan declared the ECP’s order postponing the Punjab provincial assembly polls until October 8 as “unconstitutional” and directed the government to release Rs21 billion in funds for elections in Punjab by April 10.
The top court directed to conduct Punjab polls on May 14 and further directed the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission. The verdict read that “the court will issue an appropriate order in case of non-provision of funds.”
The verdict has been welcomed by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, which had challenged the ECP’s order, and by opposition parties, which had called for timely elections in Punjab.
The Punjab elections are crucial for all parties as the province has the largest number of seats in the National Assembly.
