CJP Bandial vows to safeguard Constitution in election date case

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Umar Ata Bandial on Sunday asserted that if the Constitution stipulated election within 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution, it was the duty of Supreme Court’s (SC) judges to implement it, ARY News reported.

Addressing a conference on minority rights in Lahore, the chief justice the judges of the Supreme Court (SC) cannot “blink” their eyes when it comes to enforcement of Constitution.

“If the Constitution says 90 days for holding elections, it is our duty to implement it and not our choice,” CJP Bandial said, adding that the matter was being called a “controversy”.

Chief Justice of Pakistan Umar Ata Bandial on Sunday said that the judges of the Supreme Court could not “blink” their eyes if the Constitution mandated polls within 90 days of an assembly’s dissolution, adding that it was their duty to say that.

The chief justice further said that the Supreme Court and its judges had no existence individually but “as a unit and as a constitutional organ and that is how we function”.

“If a review is filed then it will be heard because no judgement is binding unless it becomes final. But if a judgement is not challenged then it becomes final so let’s see what happens now,” the chief justice added.

The CJP also said that every citizen of Pakistan has equal rights, and that courts cannot pass executive orders. “Pakistan has been bearing the brunt of terrorism for decades, and has lost over 80,000 lives because of it,” he added.

Referring to the negotiations between the government and the PTI, he said the apex court was informed that they had not concluded yet. “We have nothing to do with that but at least they are conscious that they have a duty to comply [with] the Constitution,” he added.

Last month, the Supreme Court had directed the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to hold general elections to the Punjab Assembly on May 14. However, the government had rejected the apex court’s orders.