The Registrar Office of the Supreme Court on Wednesday received a joint application of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Pakistan People’s Party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam to become a party in the case about delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa elections. The Registrar Office earlier declined to accept the joint application advising parties to submit it during the proceedings of the case today but later it changed its mind and agreed to receive it.

A larger five-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz-ul-Ahsan, Justice Munib Akhtar, Justice Aminuddin Khan and Justice Jamal Khan Mandokhail resumes hearing today at 11:30am of the petition filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf pertaining to delay in elections in Punjab and KP.

Earlier, there were reports that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif may attend today’s proceedings at the Supreme Court but after holding a meeting with Attorney General of Pakistan (AFP) Mansoor Usman Awan at the PM House on Wednesday morning the premier decided not to go to the apex court, sources said.

According to the sources, Prime Minister Shehbaz has directed the members of federal cabinet to reach the apex court at 11:30am today. The Supreme Court on Tuesday took up the PTI plea challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s decision to defer the polls in Punjab and KP. Yesterday, PTI lawyer Ali Zafar completed his arguments.

Today, the attorney general will continue his arguments and the ECP’s lawyer will also present Commission’s stance. During yesterday’s proceedings, the government urged the court to form a full court bench to hear the case which ‘holds significant national and public impact’. Law Minister Azam Nazeer Tarar claimed that the apex court’s March 1 ruling in the election suo motu case was a 4-3 majority decision, and not a 3-2 verdict.

In another major development, the government presented a resolution in the National Assembly last night calling for “non-interference” by the judiciary in the matters related to the Election Commission of Pakistan, besides demanding same-day elections in the country under impartial caretaker set-up in line with Article 224 of the Constitution.

“This house believes that an unnecessary intrusion of the judiciary in the political matters is the main cause of political instability,” said the resolution, adding, “The House endorses the decision of four judges of the apex court in the suo motu case relating to holding elections and supports their opinion, hoping that the SC would refrain from meddling into the political and administrative matters of the country.”

Prior to this, the federal cabinet also approved a ‘controversial’ bill to deprive the office of Chief Justice of Pakistan of powers to take suo motu notice in an individual capacity during its meeting Tuesday. The cabinet referred the proposed legislation to the Standing Committee on Law and Justice by National Assembly Speaker Raja Pervaiz Ashraf for further considerations.

Soon after the approval of the bill by the federal cabinet, it was tabled in the National Assembly. The bill was introduced in the lower house through a supplementary agenda, as it was not included in the original orders of the day. It is expected that the standing committee will pass the bill in its meeting scheduled for today (Wednesday).

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP