A meeting of the government and its coalition partners is underway at the Prime Minister’s House after the Supreme Court on Monday rejected a request to form a full court bench on petitions related to the re-election of the recently held Punjab Chief Minister – in which Its review is also included. Explanation of Article 63-A.
Senior political leaders and government figures including Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazal Rehman, PPP President and Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari are present.
PML-N Vice President Maryam is accompanied by leaders of the Muttahida Quami Movement-Pakistan, Pakistan Muslim League-Qaid, Awami National Party, Balochistan Awami Party, Balochistan National Party and members of other government allies. Nawaz and other senior PML-N figures.
The coalition meeting resolved not to back down from its demand for a full court and also decided on its future strategy in light of the apex court’s decision.
Government leaders agreed to proceed with a joint action plan.
Full bench would have exposed ‘contradictions in SC’s own decisions’: Maryam
Meanwhile, soon after the apex court’s decision, Maryam made several critical tweets, stating that the reason for rejecting the full bench’s request was the fear of contradiction in the court’s own decision.
“When the decisions are not in accordance with the Constitution, law and justice, there is danger from the Full Court. Because with the involvement of honest judges, the lapses of judgment come to the fore and people know that the decision is not based on the constitution and law but on personal preferences.
Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal said the court’s decision had laid the foundation for a “new political crisis” in the country. He questioned whether the judiciary would accept responsibility for the economic effects arising out of the crisis.
The alliance again demanded a full bench
Earlier in the day, the coalition government had reiterated its demand for the formation of a full bench to hear the matter regarding the election of the Chief Minister of Punjab.
On Friday, the Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly, Dost Mohammad Mazariq decision made For not counting the votes of the PML-Q in the Punjab chief ministerial election, considering them against the instructions of party chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and thus giving PML-N’s Hamza Shahbaz victory over PML-Q leader Chaudhry Parvez Elahi.
During a press briefing hours before the hearing on Elahi’s plea against Mazari’s decision, members of the coalition government hit out at the judiciary and questioned its impartiality.
He also questioned the court’s decision to restrict the entry of all political leaders present during the press conference. According to an Islamabad police official, only the leaders of the responding parties were allowed to enter the court premises with the permission of the SC administration.
At the start of the press conference, PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz said she was advised not to speak to the media as it would affect her appeal in the Panama Papers case, which was being heard by the Islamabad High Court. Its the “final stage”.
“However, I said that the people’s representatives have to think beyond themselves and think of the people.”
Commenting on the recent court decisions, Maryam said that their impact lasts for decades and gets stronger with time.
“I can write an essay praising the judiciary but one wrong decision will ruin the whole” [argument]On the other hand, a decision based on justice may face criticism, she said.
She alleged that the petitions are being filed in the court and are not being decided or facing delay.
He said that our judicial system is such that when a petition is filed, people already know which bench will be constituted and what decision will be given.
Maryam cited several examples of the PML-N’s legal woes and claimed that party leaders were being discriminated against.
Giving the example of Hamza, he said: “Have you ever heard of a trustee chief minister?”
He said that he was not being allowed to work after Hamza was elected the Chief Minister of Punjab. “He goes from parliament to court, and back and forth. What kind of justice is this?”
The PML-N vice-president pointed out that several respected judges had been appointed to the apex court and questioned why they were not involved in the hearing of the cases.
“One or two judges, who have always been anti-PML-N and anti-government, are repeatedly included in the bench,” he said, adding that “bench-fixing is an offense just like match-fixing”.
It is to be noted that the matter on the validity of the decision of the deputy speaker of Punjab is being heard by a three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Atta Bandiyal, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar- out of five judges. Three are included. Who? to accept That the then Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Qasim Suri’s decision to reject a no-confidence motion against PTI chief Imran Khan in April was contrary to the Constitution, paving the way for his expulsion as prime minister.
Justices Bandiyal, Ahsan and Akhtar also played an important role in the decision of partition. Defection MPs’ votes not allowed to be counted In Punjab’s chief ministerial election, that decision set the stage for the re-election held last week.
During the press conference, Maryam also alleged that the court’s decisions were in favor of PTI even though they were making fun of the judicial system.
He questioned the state of the judicial system and questioned what direction the country was heading if judgments were given in favor of those who “abuse and threaten institutions”.
3 people are not allowed to decide the fate of the country: Bilawal
Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari insisted that the country’s democratic parties have only one demand: the formation of a full court bench.
“It cannot happen that only three people decide the fate of this country. It is only they who decide whether this country is run through a democratic system, an elected system or an elected system.”
Bilawal said that all the parties in the coalition government want a democratic system.
He further said that “some forces” are unable to digest that Pakistan is moving towards democracy and people are taking their own decisions.
He said the PTI chief had trampled on the rights of the province during his tenure in the government which proved disastrous for the country and the economy.
Bilawal said that as a result of the government’s democratic struggles, the country’s institutions were forced to change their “controversial, unconstitutional and undemocratic role”.
“And it’s been three months and some powers, people, political parties and conspirators are not able to tolerate” […] A campaign is being run in the country to keep Imran Khan at the forefront.”
He alleged that the campaign is a conspiracy against the country’s economic progress and democratic journey.
“We have not allowed any conspiracy to succeed in the past and will not allow it to happen now,” he said. We want the institution to remain uncontroversial.”
The External Affairs Minister said that when all the judges hear the case, everyone will accept the decision.
“If only three judges give a decision, we will not be able to control the political situation that is developing in this country.”
He said the Constitution cannot be changed due to pressure from the PTI chief.
He said, ‘We all want a full court bench. Then whatever decision you take will be according to law and constitution and we will trust that.
Maulana supported Maryam’s idea
During the media interaction, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman supported Maryam’s view and said that fingers are being pointed at the judiciary.
He said the government wants to strengthen the judiciary so that their decisions speak for themselves. “There should be no conflict between them or the appearance of being partisan.”
He said that the government to which the people have given the mandate is not being allowed to run. He further said that when the government was not formed with the wishes of the institutions of the country, a new system was imposed through rigging.
“Institutions intervene in political affairs to protect the state but do they ever think that their interference has weakened the state?” He asked.
“You’re sitting behind a wall. You can decide whatever you want […] And defame politicians by making them criminals in the eyes of the public. But hold yourself accountable.”
Maulana said that the government does not expect any justice from the present bench and reiterated the government’s demand for a full bench.
He further said that the government backed what Maryam had said earlier, saying it was her “united stand”.
“Don’t take this country to the point where people rebel against institutions,” he said.
He said there is a need to restore people’s confidence in the institutions of the country but the latter should also assess his role and hold himself accountable.
We want to make the future of the country bright but for this the stability of the government is necessary. […] We are united that we have to fix the economy, but let us do it.”
The JUI-F said it was too easy to “create difficulties”.
“If you expect us not to create trouble for you, then it is also your responsibility not to create difficulties for us” […] If there is the support of Parliament, institutions and the government, the country will be stable.
‘Nobody will be satisfied with the decision of the three-member bench’
Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) leader Khalid Magasi also echoed the views of others and warned that the country was heading towards a “civil war”.
“Institutions should wake up and address the ego issues. If everyone will do their job, things will improve,” he said, adding that otherwise, no improvement will be seen even in the next 70 years.
Highlighting that the ruling coalition had a large number of supporters of the parties, he reiterated the demand for a full court. “If a three-member bench decides the matter, no one will be satisfied” […] We’ll go back to square one.”
He said that there is nothing wrong in this if all the judges sit together to serve this country. Magasi also suggested that a grand jirga be established to define the future direction of the country.
PML-Q leader Tariq Bashir Cheema also reiterated the demand for a full court bench, and said the decision should be taken “once and for a time to come”.
The PML-Q leader expressed hope that the court would accept the demand for constitution of a full court bench to ensure justice.
Aimal Wali Khan of the Awami National Party (ANP) vehemently criticized the Supreme Court’s Saturday order on Mazari’s decision, saying: “If decisions like this are to be taken, there is no need for a party president. The parliamentary leader can have all the powers.”
He insisted that the party president has the authority to make all “big decisions”.
“It is a simple fact that the parliamentary leader is accountable to the party president. The former must obey the orders of the latter. ,
The ANP leader insisted that all institutions should operate within their ambit as defined in the Constitution, adding that “in case of conflict between the government, parliament and the SCs, people and democracy will suffer”.