ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court (SC) on Thursday directed the coalition government and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) to sit together and develop a consensus on elections in the country by 4pm today, but simultaneously asserted that it would not take back its order fixing May 14 as the date for polls in Punjab.
The apex court issued the directive after Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) assured the court that they will sit with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and try finding a solution on the election date.
A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar is hearing a petition by the defence ministry seeking to hold general elections to the national assembly and all provincial assemblies in the country simultaneously.
A number of political leaders including Law Minister Azam Nazir Tarar, PML-N leaders Khawaja Saad Rafique and Ayaz Sadiq, PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry and Shah Mahmood Qureshi, PML-Q’s Tariq Bashir Cheema, MQM leader Sabir Hussain Qaimkhani, Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) emir Sirajul Haq and others were present in the hearing today.
At the previous hearing, the court had issued notices to the leadership of all the political parties, including JI, to send their senior office-bearers to the court for today’s proceedings.
Today’s hearing
During today’s hearing, CJP Bandial lauded the reconciliation efforts initiated by the JI recently as well as appreciated the PPP’s stance of “keeping the door for talks open”.
He remarked that ECP can make changes to the election schedule without changing the date of the polls.
However, he said, the court will ensure that its decision fixing May 14 as election date in Punjab remains in place.
“Supreme Court’s decision of holding polls on May 14 will not be taken back,” the CJP remaked.
“No political party leader termed the decision on polls incorrect”, he added.
“Negotiations can be successful if it is a matter of give-and-take. It is requested that the party leaders sit today, rather than after Eid,” said CJP Bandial.
During the hearing, the JI chief Siraj-u-Haq suggested holding polls across the country after Eidul Adha.
The top judge second Siraj-u-Haq’s suggestion that elections can be held in July after Eidul Adha as suggested by the JI chief.
However, CJP Bandial said: “The court will not take back its May 14 decision [and] court decision cannot be ignored. Reversal of court decision is not a joke. There is a procedure to overturn court decisions.”
The CJP then directed all political parties to initiate a dialogue right away and inform the court by 4pm today.
