Connect with us

Politics

Federal cabinet rejects top court’s verdict in election delay case

Published

on

  • Federal cabinet sources say “verdict unenforceable”.
  • Govt to raise voice in parliament regarding SC decision: sources.
  • Maryam terms three-member bench as “Khan’s facilitators”.

ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet Tuesday rejected the Supreme Court’s “unanimous verdict” on the case pertaining to the postponement of election in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), sources told Geo News.

The development came during the cabinet’s meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, held after a three-member bench — headed by Chief Justice Umar Ata Bandial and comprising Justice Ijaz Ul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar as members — announced the apex court’s verdict on the matter which it had reserved a day earlier.

Announcing the verdict on a plea filed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the country’s top court declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision to postpone polls in Punjab and KP from April 30 to October 8 as ‘null and void’.

The Supreme Court, in its verdict, states that the ECP’s order dated March 22, 2023, is declared to be unconstitutional, without lawful authority or jurisdiction, void ab-initio, of no legal effect, and is hereby quashed.

“The Supreme Court’s decision is a minority verdict, which is why the cabinet rejects it,” the sources in the federal cabinet said.

The top court’s decision, as per the sources, is not enforceable.

The government would raise its voice in parliament regarding the verdict, the sources added. It was also decided in the meeting that the coalition parties in power will talk about the apex court’s decision in parliament, they added.

In the meeting, the cabinet decided to present its position on the verdict.

‘Last blow of conspiracy’

Commenting on the SC decision, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) Senior Vice-President and Chief Organiser Maryam Nawaz took to her Twitter and wrote that today’s verdict is the last blow of the conspiracy which began by “rewriting the Constitution and presenting the Punjab government on a plate” to the bench’s blue-eyed boy, Khan.

Maryam termed the three-member bench as “Khan’s facilitators” and said that this was done so he could be reselected under their presence and supervision.

“This bench has taken responsibility for the work done by [Lt Gen] Faiz [Hamid], [ex-CJP Asif Saeed] Khosa and Saqib Nisar in 2018. A majority of the Supreme Court revolted against this appalling and brazen facilitation and one-man show,” the PML-N scion tweeted, stressing that it is now time for the parliament to stop this facilitation using its “constitutional and legal hands”.

She further stated that it is not enough for the federal cabinet to reject the verdict. The PML-N politician wrote that those who tried to impose the “favourite” by defying the Constitution and law should be brought to the rostrum.

Latest News

Significant legislation is anticipated in today’s NA and Senate sessions.

Published

on

By

With crucial legislation on the agenda, the Senate and the National Assembly, the two houses of parliament, have called separate sessions today.

Session of National Assemblies

At 4 p.m., the lower chamber National Assembly session would begin, with a seven-point program.

According to insiders, the NA session would see the introduction of bills to strengthen the highest court’s judges and amend the Anti-Terrorism Amendment.

Additionally, the lower house session will consider the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Amendment Ordinance today.

It will also be brought up during the session to draw attention to Pakistan’s inferior rating in the Rule of Law Index.

To ground PIA planes, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) MNA Aliya Kamran will issue a calling attention notice.

The Senate session

The Senate session’s 39-point agenda, however, had also been released.

In the session of the upper house, three new bills will be introduced.

In the meantime, today’s agenda includes the approval of eleven measures as well as the standing committee reports.

Legislators have been instructed by the government to make sure they attend the sessions today.

Continue Reading

Latest News

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly session is set for today.

Published

on

By

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly is scheduled to convene today at 3 PM.

The session’s agenda has been published, featuring a resolution for the prompt examination of the Ministers’ Salaries, Allowances, and Privileges Amendment Bill 2024.

The agenda included a motion to deliberate on the Land Use and Building Control Amendment Bill and a proposal to enact the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Land Use and Building Control Amendment Bill.

Continue Reading

Latest News

Imran Khan’s bail request in the Toshakhana-II case has had its objections dismissed.

Published

on

By

In the Toshakhana-II case, the Islamabad High Court has dismissed the objections to PTI founder Imran Khan’s bail request.

IHC instructed the registrar’s office to schedule the hearing for the case for Monday.

Imran Khan’s attorneys, Shaheena Shahab, Ayesha Khalid, and others, arrived in court today as IHC Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb heard the case.

The registrar’s objections to the plea were questioned by Justice Aurangzeb. In the Toshakhana-II case, Imran Khan submitted a bail application, according to counsel Ayesha Khalid.

Justice Miangul said that previous rulings in circumstances comparable to this one adhered to the consistency principle. In this instance, the petitioner was a man, he added.

Bushra Bibi was given bail because she was a woman, according to the justice, and an application like this one was denied yesterday.

Given that the case action date was November and the power of attorney was executed in July, Justice Aurangzeb raised a concern about the timing.

Justice requested the help of Advocate Shah Khawar in this case.

When an applicant was held in jail, Shah Khawar retorted that it was standard procedure to obtain signatures on required documents, such as a power of attorney.

Imran Khan’s attorney, Shaheena Shahab, asked the court to send out notices regarding the bail plea. A judge named Aurangzeb said that the law would be observed.

Following arguments, the court dismissed the registrar office’s objections and ordered that the case hearing be scheduled for Monday.

Continue Reading

Trending