Bilawal, Asif Zardari reach Islamabad to chalk out ‘next plan of action’

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) top leadership Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and Asif Ali Zardari has reached Islamabad to chalk out ‘next plan of action’ following the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict, nullifying Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order to postpone Punjab elections, ARY News reported on Thursday, citing sources.

Sources told ARY News that Bilawal Bhutto has summoned the PPP’s top leadership for consultation on the Supreme Court’s (SC) verdict nullifying Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) order to postpone Punjab elections on May 14.

The PPP leadership will take party into confidence regarding the decisions taken during meeting of coalition parties.

The party leadership will also consider to summon central executive committee (CEC) or core committee meeting. The consultative meeting will also chalk out the future plan of action.

A day earlier, the federal government decided to submit reference against Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) and two other Supreme Court (SC) judges, the three-member bench which nullified the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) decision.

The decision was taken during a meeting of leaders of all coalition parties, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif in Islamabad.

The meeting considered to submit a reference against three-member bench, which includes CJP Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Muneeb Akhtar and Justice Ijazul Ahsan, in Supreme Judicial Council (SJC).

The meeting also expressed concern over the delay in signing the Supreme Court (Practice and Procedure) Bill 2023, which aims to curtail the suo motu powers of office of the chief justice of Pakistan (CJP).

SC verdict 

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court (SC) on Tuesday declared the Election Commission of Pakistan’s (ECP) March 22 order on Punjab elections null and void.

A three-member bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Munib Akhtar — announced the reserved verdict on the PTI’s petition challenging the Election Commission of Pakistan’s order postponing the elections in Punjab and KP.

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The Supreme Court declared the ECP’s order postponing the provincial assembly elections until October 8 as “unconstitutional” and ordered the government to release Rs21 billion funds for elections in Punjab by April 10.

The top court directed to conduct Punjab polls on May 14. The SC further directed the caretaker government in Punjab to assist the commission. “The court will issue an appropriate order in case of non-provision of funds,” the verdict read.