Bilawal Bhutto fears 'martial law’ if larger bench is not constituted

LARKANA: Foreign Minister and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari has warned of deepening ‘constitutional crisis’ if larger bench is not constituted to hear polls delay case, fearing that it would lead to martial law in the country, ARY News reported on Monday.

Talking to journalists in Larkana, the PPP chairman said that what is happening on the matter of elections was in front of the nation and the country, urging the judiciary to ask three judges about it.

Bilawal Bhutto noted that the criticism of higher judiciary by the judges is historical, saying that the fellow judges have also expressed ‘lack of confidence’ on the three-member bench, hearing a petition by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the postponement of Punjab elections.

The foreign minister urged Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial to constitute a larger bench as per the Constitution, saying that judges who were caught consulting with the opposition – Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – should not be part of the bench.

He feared that if larger bench would not be formed then a ‘constitutional crisis’ will be emerged, which will lead towards ‘martial law’ in the country. “A nine-member bench has reduced to three judges,” he said, adding that the nation will remember chief justice if larger bench is not formed.

He also lambasted Imran Khan, saying that the PTI chairman was chief polling agent of former dictator General Pervez Musharraf. “Remnants of every political dictator have landed himself in PTI,” he added.

He alleged that Imran Khan decided to release terrorists from jail and due to his decisions, nation is facing terrorism again. However, he vowed, the government will once again confront the terrorists and defeat them.

Read More: PM SHEHBAZ REITERATES ‘NO-CONFIDENCE’ IN CJP-LED BENCH HEARING POLLS DELAY CASE

It is pertinent to mention here that the coalition parties expressed their “lack of confidence” in three-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) of Pakistan hearing a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) petition against the delay in elections of the Punjab Assembly.

The decision was taken during a high-level meeting of Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) parties, chaired by Prime Minister (PM) Shehbaz Sharif.

The coalition parties expressed lack of confidence in the Supreme Court bench — comprising Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial, Justice Ijazul Ahsan and Justice Muneeb Akhtar.

The meeting was summoned after the Supreme Court rejected the ruling alliance’s plea for a full court bench in the election delay case. The apex court itself witnessed high drama, with two judges recusing themselves from the remaining three-member bench.

Supreme Court hearing

Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court (SC) reserved its verdict in the case about delay in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) polls after hearing arguments from Election Commission, PTI and Attorney General Mansoor Usman Awan.

Ahead of the hearing, the government submitted a statement through Attorney General of Pakistan (AGP) Mansoor Awan, requesting the formation of a full court to hear the case which was ruled out by the three-member bench headed by Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Atta Bandial.

The PDM government also sought the dismissal of the PTI petition in the light of what it interpreted as a “4-3” order issued by the apex court on March 1.

Notably, the Supreme Court also did not hear the arguments of lawyers representing the political parties that are part of the ruling coalition.